Shattered
by Cherry Whisper
Summary: Kazuya is a depressed twelve-year-old child who has nothing to live for. But when he meets a girl named Jun Kazama, he questions the meaning of life itself. This is a story about their experiences growing up together from childhood to adulthood.
1. A Day in the Life of the Dark Prince

Shattered  
  
Chapter One: A Day in the Life of the Dark Prince  
  
The gloom of the depressing evening loomed overhead of him. The cold and indifferent snowflakes fell from the dreary sky incessantly. The boy did not notice the icy touch of the snowflakes as they drifted onto him and soaked through his suit. The frigid grasp of winter was nothing compared to the indescribable pain that welled up in his heart.   
  
He approached the gravestone with slow footsteps, as if gravity was attempting to hold him down. He stopped and fell to his knees in front of the blue and purple irises that rested upon the snow. He read the words over and over again that were forever marked on the monument. Although he was literate and able to read them, he could not comprehend the words that were etched on that grave. He threw himself onto the gravestone, his arms enveloping themselves around it and his sorrowful tears streaming from his eyes.   
  
"Mother, please come back...don't leave me..."  
  
****  
  
Kazuya groggily woke from his sleep, the brass alarm clock bringing him against his will to the conscious world of reality. He slammed his fist onto the clock and at once the racket ceased. He threw his blankets off of his scrawny, yet slightly muscular body, which was somewhat unusual for a boy of twelve years of age. He stalked over to his private bathroom to prepare for another uneventful morning.  
  
As he brushed his teeth, he ran his hand through the unruly strands of his jet-black hair in a pitiful attempt to smooth it. Even if he was the only son of the powerful CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, he could not care less what he looked like. As long as he showed up in school in that stiff uniform that all the boys were assigned to wear, his father did not complain.  
  
After a few more minutes he entered his chamber once more. His body was awake and functioning, but his mind was still numbed by the alluring embrace of slumber. He threw his homework into the confines of his knapsack and headed out of his room where breakfast awaited him downstairs in the dining room.  
  
As usual his father hid his face behind the open pages of a newspaper, not that Kazuya was protesting. He is accustomed to his father not paying any mind to him unless he was pummeling him against the ground during a training session in the dojo. The young Mishima seated himself in front of his breakfast, the smell of the warm bacon and eggs bringing him somewhat out of his stupor. He ate, taking a few bites out of his toast as the silence hung in the air between father and son.  
  
"Boy, I expect you to go to your appointment right after school today," the gruff voice of his father commanded.  
  
Kazuya said nothing, beginning to consume his scrambled eggs.   
  
"Is something wrong with your hearing?" the elder Mishima's voice rose.  
  
Kazuya wiped his mouth cleanly with his napkin and forced a smile. "Why no, Father. Whatever gave you that idea?"  
  
Before he knew it, his father had wrung him by the collar, the newspaper lying forgotten on the table. His face was lined with a few wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and forehead. His dark hair stood from his head like two eagle's wings and facial hair ran from above his upper lip and around his mouth in some sort of mustache. "I will not have you mocking me, you little wench. I know that you have been skipping your sessions with that psychiatrist I've hired-"  
  
"What good is he anyway?" Kazuya protested, his youthful eyes glaring back at his father's steely ones.   
  
Heihachi Mishima's grip tightened onto the collar of his shirt like a boa constrictor squeezing the life out of its prey. "You WILL go to those two hour appointments that I have scheduled. This is the fourth psychiatrist that I have employed. Do you have any idea in that dense head of yours how much money I paid them?"  
  
"I never asked you to pay for them!" The boy yelled. "I never asked for these stupid appointments in the first place!!!"  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME!!!" Heihachi thrust Kazuya back into his chair with such force that the legs tipped over.   
  
In one loud crash, the boy fell back into his chair as it collided with the polished wooden ground. He felt the solidity of the floor, the searing pain shooting up through his head and neck. Kazuya made his best effort not to make any noise that indicated that he was hurt: he did not want to give his father that pleasure.  
  
  
  
His father towered over him as he lied upon the floor defenselessly. "Mark my words boy, you will continue to go to those sessions. If I hear that you have skipped another one, you will be punished dearly for it."   
  
With that, he watched as his father walked away in disgust and departed for his limousine to go to work. Kazuya just laid there for a moment staring intently at the humongous crystal chandelier that dangled from the ceiling. The rays of the morning sun pierced through the crystals, the light bouncing onto the beautifully furnished walls of the mansion in the form of iridescent prisms. There was a time when he saw splendor in it, but now he could not see it. There was no hope or beauty in this house any longer.  
  
****  
  
"So, you guys want to hang out at the arcade after school?"  
  
"No way! We ALWAYS go there. Can't we do anything else?"  
  
"We can check out what's playing at the theaters. There's this one movie that I've wanted to see."  
  
"No, I better not. I'm already behind all of my classes as it is."  
  
"C'mon, don't be a wuss-"  
  
Footsteps were heard entering the brightly lit room, and when they saw whom it was the group of four boys fell dead silent.  
  
Kazuya walked into the classroom, clad in blue and green pinstriped slacks, a long white button-downed shirt and a blue vest over his chest with the Mishima emblem embroidered onto the right breast. He dismissed the stares of his fellow classmates as he passed them and made his way to his seat in the back of the room. He sat down onto his assigned chair and rummaged through his knapsack. He pulled out a thick book and opened it, his peers still goggling at him with attentive and frightened eyes as if they had just seen a demon in Kazuya's place.  
  
"That Mishima kid is freaky," one boy commented, still keeping an eye on the young Mishima boy.  
  
"Yeah right," another one disagreed. "What's so freaky about him?"  
  
"I agree with Kenji, Akio. There's something about that guy that isn't right."  
  
"Yeah, all he does is read. He never speaks a word to anyone." A fourth boy added to the analysis of their enigmatic classmate.  
  
Akio scoffed. "Whatever. You guys are just scared."  
  
"Oh yeah? Why don't you go over and talk to him and prove to us that he isn't a freak?" Kenji dared his friend.  
  
A glimpse of fear crossed Akio's face. "W-what? No, I don't want to bother him. Why don't you guys go?"  
  
"You said it yourself, Akio. We're all too scared to go. Since you're the bravest one, we nominate you to." Kenji mocked him, and the other two boys nodded.   
  
Seeing that he was cornered, Akio gulped and turned away from his friends. He slowly approached Kazuya as if he were approaching an executioner. He glanced back at his friends and saw that they were watching his every move with a look of anxiety. He could not turn back now and be ridiculed for not taking up a dare. He marched towards the heir of the Mishima Empire and finally reached him. He stood next to his desk trembling, but Kazuya paid no mind while he read his books with great concentration.  
  
Akio cleared his throat. "Um, hi," he started, his voice slightly shaking. "N-nice day, huh?"  
  
Kazuya did not answer. His ebony eyes only focused on the fine print of the crisp pages that were opened before him. Once again Akio cleared his throat in hopes of getting his attention. "Ha ha...yeah. It's a bummer that we're cooped up in school when it's so bright and sunny outside today..."  
  
Suddenly in an act of annoyance, Kazuya closed his book with his thumb within the pages to keep his place. He glared at the now frightened Akio, his ebony eyes throwing looks of unfathomable irritation. To his classmate, it was as if Kazuya was brandishing a razor-sharp knife to the poor boy's throat. "Listen to me, you moron. I'm fed up with you trying to prove yourself to your friends."  
  
Nervousness has now altered to downright fear: Akio felt cold beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "W-what...are you talking about-"  
  
"You must truly be more ignorant than I took you for. I'm tired of your friends talking about me when they think it's convenient for them to do so. You really don't think I can't hear you and the rest of those idiots?"  
  
"You got it all wrong...n-no one is-"  
  
"I don't want to waste any more of my breath talking to you. Leave me alone already and run back to your little friends. And if you didn't happen to notice this morning, it's raining."  
  
Kazuya once again opened his book and continued reading while Akio went back to his friends, making his best effort not to sprint towards them. He took one more look back at him as he read. Any traces of Kazuya's agitation were not present on his face: he kept an appearance of collectiveness, as if the conversation between him and Akio never took place at all.  
  
"You guys were right. He IS a freak."  
  
The sharp piercing shriek of the late bell sounded, and all of the students hurried to their seats. A tall middle-aged man walked into the room, welcomed by the drooping eyes and weary yawns of his students.  
  
"Good morning, everyone," he called rather loudly out to his students as he always did in hopes of freeing them from their usual tiredness from lack of sleep. His class answered automatically with a feeble 'good morning'.  
  
"I hope everyone remembered to do their assignment today," the teacher continued. "Speaking of which, please pass them up now."  
  
Kazuya closed his book and placed it back in his large knapsack, his hand now searching for his Literature folder. He pulled it out and found his homework assignment in the left pocket of the folder. He took it and passed it up to the girl who sat in front of him and who always had her hair kept in two long plaits down her back. She snatched the paper from his hand without looking at him and quickly turned around, just as she always had done from the start of the school year. Everyone in his classes avoided Kazuya's stare as if looking into those deep brown eyes of his would turn them all into stone. However, he was accustomed to it. Kazuya was never the social type, and that did not bother him in the least.  
  
The papers were collected and put onto a pile on the teacher's desk. "All right then. If you will all please turn to page ninety-eight of your books, we can begin this morning's lesson with a little more poetry.  
  
The whole class suppressed their urge to groan out of respect for their superior. They did as they were told without hesitation just as a machine would do once an order was inputted in it by an operator. The shuffling of pages was heard for a few moments and then silence fell once more.   
  
"Now, let's continue with the poem we left off of yesterday..." By the time the class was reading all together with the teacher, Kazuya was already nearly finished with the poem. He absorbed every word that his ebony eyes scanned as if he was a wanderer in the desert in desperate need of water. He was always ahead of his class in Literature, for it had been his best subject. Whereas some of his classmates were on the same level, Kazuya's skill and knowledge could rival that of someone attending high school. However, he had no desire to skip grades as of yet. Why bother, when he had nothing to gain from it whatsoever?  
  
It was nearly an hour until the bell sounded, concluding first period. All of the students gathered their belongings and rose from their seats, forming a line out of the classroom. Kazuya was usually the last one to exit, and today was of no exception. His right foot was out of the door, until someone had stopped him.  
  
"Mr. Mishima," the strict voice of his teacher beckoned him. "May I see you for a moment?"  
  
Kazuya obeyed and walked over to his teacher's desk. He observed the pile of assignments that had dwindled from the beginning of class. The graded papers were arranged in another pile of their own. Kazuya noticed that a certain paper was in the hands of his teacher and he recognized that the handwriting was his own.  
  
"I'd like to discuss your assignment with you."  
  
"What about it, Nakamura-sama?" Kazuya asked without a hint of anxiety in his tone.  
  
"I've always loved reading your works, don't get me wrong," Mr. Nakamura started. "In my fourteen years of teaching I have never encountered such a student like you. You are advanced for your age and you comprehend literature more so than your classmates. However, your poetry is..." he stopped as he groped for the word that he wanted. "Your poetry is...dark."  
  
"What do you mean, if I may ask?"  
  
"What I'm saying is that for someone who is twelve years old, your works are quite morbid. Although you have talent, I am still slightly troubled. A poem is a way to express the emotions of the person who writes it. Words are often used to describe one's self, even if the person isn't aware of it. Anyway, I've been disturbed by your...eccentric poetry as of late."  
  
Kazuya was growing slightly annoyed by the time that his teacher was consuming attempting to explain his motives for wanting to speak with him. He wished that he could just get to the heart of matters already.  
  
"Has something gone wrong at your house that is upsetting you?" Mr. Nakamura finally asked. "Are there problems within your family?"  
  
Kazuya forced a thin smile. "No, nothing has happened Nakamura-sama."  
  
"Are you sure? As your teacher, you can tell me anything."  
  
"Everything is fine. My poetry is just the way it is because I was mostly inspired by Gothic writers, is all."  
  
Mr. Nakamura's brown eyes eased a bit. "Good...that's good. Well, sorry for taking up your time. Off to second period, now."  
  
Kazuya nodded and left the room and walked into the now deserted hallway. He was glad that his excuse threw off his teacher's so-called 'concerns'. Now Mr. Nakamura could tell himself how good of a person he is now that he had confronted his 'disturbing' student and supposedly set matters straight. Kazuya had always wondered whether or not teachers received promotions for preventing students from committing suicide.  
  
****  
  
"Now, your father has told me that your mother died when you were five, correct?"  
  
"Yes. What of it?"  
  
"There is no need to be defensive."  
  
"I'm not being defensive. It's just I've answered that question more times than I can count by you alone and it's never gotten us anywhere."  
  
"Please refrain from outbursts during the remainder of this session, Kazuya." The dull voice of the psychiatrist told him. "We still have an hour and forty-five minutes to go."  
  
Kazuya did not say anything more as he rested on his back against the reclined chair, restraining himself from actually yelling at the psychiatrist as he sat on the large couch across from him. He did his best from shouting at the plump, balding man while he kept his stout face hidden behind his clipboard where he scribbled down useless notes. All of the other psychiatrists had done the same: never making eye contact with Kazuya, always writing while pretending to listen to him, always asking the same questions about his past. In the end, the session always ended with Kazuya having to take more anti-depressants and various other pills to push into his mouth.  
  
"Your father also told me that you do not associate with other children at school. Why is that?"  
  
"Because I don't feel like talking to anyone at my school."  
  
"Is it because they tease you? Or are you afraid of making friends?"  
  
Kazuya suppressed a laugh. He knew as well as his peers that they were too frightened to ever even think of mocking him. And he would not be caught dead being seen with any of the senseless morons that he was forced to attend classes with. "No, I just don't want to talk to them."  
  
"Hmmmm..." The tapping of a pen was heard through the air-conditioned room as the psychiatrist feigned interest.  
  
  
  
Kazuya glanced at the clock that was hung on the wall opposite to him. He read the aligned hands as the psychiatrist had begun asking him yet another question. He only had to sit through this tedious session for another hour and forty minutes.  
  
****  
  
"Get up, damn you!" Heihachi's voice thundered, reverberating off the walls of the private dojo.   
  
A part of Kazuya wanted to remain on the wooden floor just to see the look of contempt on his father's face, but before he could even lift himself up Heihachi had hoisted him by the collar of his gi. His feet dangled as he writhed helplessly in his father's grip.  
  
"You're no son of mine," Heihachi seethed through his clenched teeth. "You are no Mishima, you pathetic little bastard. You can only bring shame to our name!"  
  
He threw Kazuya with such strength that his body collided soundly with the wall of the dojo. He then fell onto the ground, pain wracking each bone in his body. He felt the warm blood dripping from his wounds and his vision was blurred. He could hardly make out the soft glow of the candles that surrounded the room or the infuriated face of his father. Death would be so much sweeter than going through this torment...  
  
He heard footsteps heading towards the exit. His father threw another glance of loathing at his injured son. "You should have died in the ravine where I left you. That way I would not have to waste my time on a weakling such as you."  
  
His father was gone, the large iron doors shutting loudly behind him. Kazuya rolled onto his back and stared at the dark ceiling, the shadows dancing apathetically around him. He felt the blood pooling from him, the white fabric of his gi stained with the crimson liquid. It was as if he were on the boundary of life and death as he rested there as motionless as a corpse.  
  
"My poor little Kazuya," A supernatural voice said, breaking the heavy silence in the dojo. "Look at what your father has done to you now."  
  
The fatigue was replaced by anger as Kazuya pulled himself up to a sitting position. "He...he isn't my father..."  
  
The demon laughed in scorn. "You cannot deny your own blood, my dear child. But do not worry. We will take care of him someday..."  
  
"You keep telling me that! But someday never seems to come soon enough, does it? Why do you let him do this to me? When I need help you never give it to me. You promised that you would!"  
  
"Now, now. There's no need to take that tone with me." There was a sound of sympathy that underlined the demon's voice. "Things take time. There will be a day when you will be able to hear your father's screams of pain. I promise that I will help you attain the salvation that you solely deserve."  
  
"...salvation...?"  
  
"Yes, my dear Kazuya. Your salvation. Your chance to redeem yourself and make your father pay for the torture that he has forced upon you. Your chance to punish him for what he has done to you. Only then will you finally be happy."  
  
"I...I want that...to be happy..."  
  
"He has deprived you of so many things, Kazuya. Happiness, pride, love...I can get all of that for you. You only need to depend on me."  
  
Kazuya rose to his feet, indifferent to his bleeding wounds. He was somewhat calmed by the demon's reassuring words: they were a soothing wave that had washed him of all doubt and fear.  
  
"I am the only person that you will ever need in your life. Everyone and everything else is meaningless."  
  
Kazuya no longer could sense the demon's presence any longer. He took a moment to regain his composure, watching the quiet flames consuming the wax of the candles from their stands. He approached the double iron doors and slowly pushed them aside with what little strength that remained from training with his father. The sun was dying, disappearing onto the horizon in a wondrous explosion of gold and scarlet. He staggered towards the mansion, his feet dragging themselves along the cobblestone path. He passed the courtyard, paying no mind to the trail of blood that was trailing behind him as he walked. He entered the mansion through a backdoor that led to the kitchen. He traveled through the dining room and through the living room to the front foyer of the mansion. The white marble floors were speckled with warm drops of crimson as Kazuya headed up the large staircase and into his chamber. He went into the comfort of his room and lurched into his bathroom.   
  
He stopped at his bathtub and turned the faucet, the hot water immediately gushing out. He waited until the ceramic tub was almost full to the brim with steaming water and he threw himself in, not caring that he still had his gi on. He felt the warmth rushing over him like a blissful remedy. The clear water was gradually tinted with crimson as his blood intermixed with it. He was so exhausted that he had fallen asleep, never noticing that he had not turned off the faucet. And so the Dark Prince slumbered in his bath while the water flooded onto the ground, painted red with his blood. 


	2. The Girl from Yakushima

Shattered  
  
Chapter Two: The Girl from Yakushima  
  
"Absolutely not! I won't let you!"  
  
"Please keep your voice down. You'll wake her up."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do this, Wang. It's too dangerous."  
  
"Please reconsider this, my friend. Think of what it can do for her."  
  
"It will do nothing for her!"  
  
The girl sat from her bed clutching her blankets to her chin. She rocked back and forth gently as the argument between her father and her mentor ensued from the living room. She could hear her father weeping and that made her want to run to him and comfort him. She had seen him this upset only once before, and that was when she was two years of age. To hear his anguish was enough for her heart to cry out to him.  
  
"There is something strange about her, something that she herself is unable to comprehend-"  
  
"Nothing is wrong with my daughter!"  
  
"I never said anything was wrong with her. However, you know as well as I do that she is not...normal for a child her age."  
  
"And what is 'normal' defined as? Is a child normal when she talks and acts like the other children do? Is she normal when she draws the same pictures as them and plays the same games as they do? So my daughter is not social with the other children of the village. All that mattered to my wife and I was that she was a caring and honest girl, not how many friends she had!"  
  
"And you raised her well; she is a loving child with a good heart. Still, do you not see the torment in those eyes of your daughter's? Can you not see that there is fear and confusion in them, even though she refuses to tell anyone?"  
  
Her father was silent for a few moments. His sudden quietness frightened her a bit, but she concentrated on Wang's words. "I know it is frightening, but you cannot go on like this. As her father, you should be willing to help her."  
  
"...but what can we do, Wang? How are we supposed to help her when she sees and hears things that we cannot? It's as if she is being haunted by something terrible, something that can't be explained...and there's nothing that I can do to help her..."  
  
"I know, I also do not know how she was destined with these kinds of abilities at such a young age. Even so, the fact of the matter remains. This ability of hers might be seen as a curse to you, but it can be a gift if she is able to take control of it. That is why I propose that she should come to Tokyo with me."  
  
"And let her be teased by the kids over there?" Her father interrupted. "Wang, you know how unfairly the children in the village treat her here. It could be worse in Tokyo."  
  
"Children must discover the cruelty of humanity sometime in their life. You cannot keep sheltering your daughter like this because it will do her no good. Tokyo is an extremely large city, I will admit. But she just cannot stay on Yakushima forever. I think that after what has happened in the past years, spending time away from this village will calm her nerves. In doing so, she will be able to have some sort of restrain on her ability."  
  
Once again, her father did not argue with Wang. It seemed to the girl that he was slowly beginning to agree with him. "Are...are you certain?"  
  
"Tokyo is a city that if constantly busy with activity. If she is introduced to such surroundings, she might be able to take control of her own powers instead of living in dread of them while she stays cooped up in her home. Please, do not worry too much. An old friend of mine owns an estate in Tokyo and he has agreed to allow your daughter to stay there."  
  
"For how long?"  
  
"It will be quite a long time, perhaps four or five months. If anything comes up, I will contact you. But you have to be strong for the child, for both your sakes."  
  
The girl felt the warm tears rising in her eyes as she laid back down onto her bed. She gripped her blankets even tighter, doing her best to hold back her urge to cry.  
  
"Daddy...why are you sending me away? Do you hate me like everyone else does?"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Jun-chan," the calm voice of her mentor beckoned her from the lulls of sleep. "We are landing soon. Look outside of your window."  
  
Jun did as the elder told her to, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She peeked at the sky outside of her circular window as she had done for the majority of the flight. It was her first time on an airplane and she spent the first hour or so staring at the scenery outside in awe as the machine glided gracefully through the sky, as if it were a great bird composed of metal.  
  
She felt gravity tug the plane as it began its descent. She saw the sea of clouds surround it like an endless sea of white fluff, and after a few minutes Jun saw the world below her. She could the grand metropolis known as Tokyo, which ironically appeared to her like a toy town that was meant for children's play. The plane dipped lower, cutting the air as it landed. She saw the complex structure known as the airport as the plane was inches away from making contact with the runway. Suddenly, she felt several jolts as the machine's tires had touch the gravel. She was nervous at first, but she was relieved when the plane had decreased in speed. Soon thereafter, the airplane came to a complete stop, and Jun was able to see the airport better.  
  
"Welcome to Tokyo International Airport. It is now 1:15 in the afternoon. Please make sure to gather all belongings and carry-on luggage as you leave. Thank you for flying with us today and please have a nice day." The stewardess' voice sounded over the intercom. After she had spoken, the passengers shuffled down the aisle in a long line to leave the plane. Wang took Jun's hand and they too began exiting off the machine. For some reason, she did not want to leave. Something in her wanted to jump on another flight after she had experienced flying for the first time in her life.  
  
They went down a long dimly lit corridor, which led into a larger area in which many seats were located. Jun saw more people rushing to the passengers, most likely loved ones or friends that came to greet them. She wondered if there was someone here to greet Wang and her.  
  
"Wang, my old friend!" Someone greeted cheerfully, and she saw a middle-aged mans with twin peaks of black hair on both sides of his heads and stern eyes approaching them. Jun hid behind the old man, her shyness overcoming her as the stranger came nearer.  
  
"It is nice to see you again, Heihachi," Wang responded with enthusiasm in his aged voice, and both men shook each other's hands heartily. The man known as 'Heihachi' noticed the small girl taking cover behind the elderly man and he chuckled.  
  
"Your granddaughter, I assume?"  
  
"No, no. This is my student, the one that I have told you about. Jun- chan, please introduce yourself to Mishima-sama."  
  
Jun obeyed and slowly came out of her hiding place. She bowed low before the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, her short raven hair spilling over her shoulders as she did. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Mishima-sama."  
  
A broad smirk appeared on Heihachi's face as he placed his coarse hand on top of Jun's head. "Such a polite young girl," he praised. He patted her hair and his attention then directed itself towards Wang. "Come, we will get her luggage and leave. The limousine is waiting for us."  
  
As she followed the two men by clinging around Wang's wrist though the vast sea of passing people, Jun had decided that there was something off about Heihachi. The way he patted her head was quite rough and uncomfortable, although she did not admit openly as a trait of her introverted character. There was a harsh look in his eyes and a strictness in his manner that made her uneasy.  
  
They arrived at a strange contraption on which suitcases and bulging knapsacks were circulated on a wide belt. Jun looked up and saw that luggage slid down the ramp onto the revolving table from a dark elevated opening. By looking at how recklessly the luggage slid down the ramp and bumped against the walls of the revolving table, it appeared to Jun that there was a hidden monster shoving down all of the passengers' bags from the obscured opening. After standing in awe of the machine, Jun recognized her brown suitcase with a nametag bearing her name on the handle. Wang picked it up for her and they started out towards an exit. With an automatic whoosh of the opening doors, Jun stepped into the bright sunlight. There waiting, as Heihachi stated, was a sleek black limousine. The chauffeur greeted his master and opened the door for them to enter. Jun hesitantly got in with Wang following her. After Heihachi had done the same, the doors were shut and the chauffeur went to the driver's seat. The limousine began to move swiftly onto the street past the other automobiles. Jun tried to catch one more glance of an airplane taking off into the sky, but the tinted windows limited her vision. Slightly disappointed, she sat back in the leather seat with her suitcase in her lap.  
  
"How is young Kazuya nowadays?" Wang politely asked, stirring up a conversation.  
  
"He is getting no better," Heihachi replied with a touch of scorn to his voice. "I train everyday with that boy and he fails to make much progress."  
  
Jun was listening now with a bit of interest, but she continued to look out the window. "Well now, that is not entirely true. Kazuya is quite a skilled fighter for someone who is twelve years of age."  
  
"But that is not good enough. He needs to put more effort if he ever wants to be worthy of his family name."  
  
Wang did not say anything about the one named 'Kazuya' anymore. Jun realized his sudden silence, which led her to believe that the boy was a sensitive topic to talk about. She could see a sadness appearing in Wang's aged eyes and that made her all the more uncomfortable around Heihachi. There was certainly something about this man that Jun did not like. She did not know what it was, but Jun could detect it. Even if she did not really know the boy named Kazuya, her heart already felt sympathy for him for having a father like Heihachi.  
  
She sat quietly at her seat while the two adults proceeded to make friendly conversation, although Jun considered it to be strained at certain times. She sensed a true friendship that existed between the two men, however this bond could easily be broken. Feeling a little uneasy, she tuned out the conversation as if she did not exist. Time passed so slowly as the car drove that Jun was tempted to take a little nap. But when the limousine arrived at the Mishima Estate and she stepped out of the car with the help of the chauffeur, her suitcase nearly slipped from her hand.  
  
She gaped at the great mansion before her: she did not think such foundations existed. Even though it was modeled mostly after the influences of Western architecture, the manor was as expansive and glorious as the castles that she had read about many times in fairy tales. She would have still been standing there in complete amazement if Wang had not brought her back to her senses and led her towards the door. As soon as Heihachi opened it, a butler was there to greet all three of them. The powerful CEO casually allowed his coat to slip off of his broad shoulders and into the hands of his servant as if it were a daily routine. Not wanting for the butler to go through the trouble of doing the same to her, Jun took off her own canary yellow jacket and carried it in her arms.  
  
"There is no need to do that, my dear," Heihachi told her in the same matter-of-factly way of a teacher would correcting a student's mistake on an assignment. "The butler will take your jacket for you."  
  
Jun felt her cheeks turn a bit red in her bashfulness. "No, it's okay. I can do it."  
  
The butler, a bit surprised in the girl's shy behavior rather than offended by it, smiled. "Please, miss, allow me to take your suitcase for you. It looks rather heavy for such a little girl to carry."  
  
If her hands were not shaking so much from being nervous she would have denied the butler's request, but she concurred and handed it to him.  
  
"Nairusu, show our guest the room where she will be staying in," Heihachi ordered. The servant bowed and gestured for Jun to follow him. For the first time, the girl noticed that the floor of the foyer and the extensive staircase consisted entirely of smooth, beautiful white marble. She immediately slipped off her shoes and took them with her as she went after the butler up the stairs. She noticed that a magnificent chandelier suspended from the wide ceiling above her, the innumerable crystals casting light in the form of small prisms about the vast walls. She took one more look back at Wang who was watching her with a comforting smile on his face as to assure her that there was nothing to be worried about. She followed the butler to the east wing of the mansion, passing the walls that were lavishly decorated with invaluable works of art. There were doors to the left and right of her as she walked down the corridor. The butler stopped after they went by three pairs of doors. Nairusu pushed the door open to reveal the room and once again Jun was awe-stricken.  
  
Although it was a guest room, it was still the largest room Jun has ever been in. Light blue draperies adorned the tall window that overlooked the courtyard in the back of the mansion. The walls were a glossy white and in the center of the room was a lofty full-sized bed which was covered with silk sheets that were also light blue to match the curtains.  
  
Nairusu placed Jun's suitcase on the bed, the weight causing it to sink slightly into the blankets. "There is a dresser over there, miss," he said pointing the right of the bed. As he said, a gigantic dresser was settled against the wall with a grand vanity settled securely on top of it. "You can use that to put your clothes in or you can use the closet right next to it. Over there," his index finger pointed to the top left of the bedroom to a door, "is your bathroom. If there is anything you need, please don't be afraid to ask."  
  
Recovering from her astonishment of the room and the mansion itself, Jun smiled at Nairusu. "I'll be fine. Thank you though, Nairusu-san."  
  
The butler bowed, again surprised by the girl's behavior. He had never been addressed by his masters in the way that this child had. He left the room and Jun was left with her thoughts as her only company.  
  
She stood in the middle of her room for a while, streams of yellow light pouring in from the windowpanes. The sunlight's touch was warm, and yet, there was a frigidness that surrounded her like an invisible blanket of frost. She was so immersed by this strange emotion that she did not notice Wang coming into the room.  
  
"Jun-chan," he addressed her, his calm voice bringing her back to reality. "It is time for me to leave."  
  
Her almond brown eyes widened in fear. "You're going?"  
  
He nodded, his beard trailing off of his chin like a sheet of white snow. "Yes. I am leaving to make arrangements at a hotel."  
  
"Can't I stay with you?" Jun urgently asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, child. But Heihachi was already kind enough to set up your room for you."  
  
"Why can't you stay here?" Jun questioned, doing her best not to shout at her mentor. "Wang-san, Mishima-sama has all these rooms in his house. Can't you sleep in one of them?"  
  
"I do not want to trouble him at such short notice." Wang realized the alarm and sorrow in the young girl's soulful eyes and lowered onto his haunches so that he was at her height. "There, there, Jun-chan." He allowed her to wrap her arms around him for comfort. "I will be back in three days. I would stay, but I have other affairs to take care of."  
  
Jun held him tightly, as if he was the only savior that she had left. "I'm scared..."  
  
Wang patted her small back in consolation. "I know that you are scared, but do you remember why you are in Tokyo in the first place?"  
  
Jun backed away from him, wanting more than anything to allow herself to release the tears that eagerly wished to drip down her cheeks.  
  
"You are here to face your fears and conquer them. You must be able to be continue to be strong Jun-chan, even if you are left alone. You do not have to be frightened of anything if you do not let yourself be. That is what your father wants."  
  
She winced at the mention of her father and immediately felt a longing for her home back in the heartland of Yakushima. Wang patted her tiny shoulders with an reassuring smile on his aged face. "You can do this, child. Even in the blackest depths of fear, there is always a glint of hope if you are willing to look for it."  
  
Jun was a bit astonished by the profoundness in her mentor's words. As a child of six years of age, she did not exactly understand the insight of Wang's speech because she did not share his years of experience. But in a sense, she comprehended the sage's encouraging statement. She smiled slightly and gave him another tight hug. "You promise that you'll be back?"  
  
"I promise. Here, take this," Wang instructed her to open her palm to receive a hard spherical object. "This is a seed from your garden at home. Your father thought that it would make you happy to bring a piece of Yakushima with you."  
  
A glow of joy appeared on the girl's cherubic face, and she cupped the little seed in her hands. "Do you think that Mishima-sama will let me plant it?"  
  
"I am sure that he has somewhere for you to take care of it. Well, I must be off," He gave Jun's shoulder another pat of his aged hand, and departed for the staircase where Heihachi waited for him.  
  
Jun watched his retreating figure, desperately restraining the desire to follow alongside of her mentor. As much as she wanted to catch the next flight back to Yakushima, she remembered the purpose of her long sojourn in Tokyo. "I...I have to be strong...I don't want to be scared anymore--"  
  
An unnatural breeze swept around the room, its cold touch causing goosebumps on the girl's frail skin and tousling the curtains from where they hung on the window. It was as if an invisible cyclone of ice was taking place where Jun stood, sending the glossy strands of her raven hair flying against her cheeks. Her lithe form trembled from the shivering cold, and she swore that she saw her breath dissipating in a small cloud of heat.  
  
"...it's happening again..."  
  
Her heart pounded in her chest like an incessant drum as she fled from the room with the frantic manner of a fearful mouse attempting to make an escape from the fatal claws of a starving feline. She breathed in large amounts of air as if she had stayed underwater for an eternity, inhaling and exhaling sharply in a frenzied attempt to calm down. She took a look at her surroundings and to her dismay found no one in the hallway. Only the stoic paintings were the witnesses of this alarmed and bewildered girl.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" She questioned outloud in a strained whisper, as if there had been someone in front of her. "What do you want?"  
  
A door swung open suddenly, breaking the heavy silence of the hallway. Her wide eyes caught it and saw that it was the last door located in the far reaches of the corridor. She saw it as an invitation and for some inexplicable reason, she was walking towards it. Her feet slowly took her away from the ribbons of sunlight that drenched the hallway from the lattice windows, away from the still paintings that hung from their places on the walls. A part of her wanted to stop and run for the nearest adult, but she did not. She continued walking and eventually, she arrived at the opened door. Her eyes searched what the door had hidden from view, and saw an rather large, but empty, chamber. The faded paint was peeling off of the walls in little curls and a blanket of dust covered everything in the room. An old dresser stood against the left wall of the room and the draperies acted as a barrier to prevent any sunlight from entering. An empty bed with discolored sheets was set beside the window. Darkness infested the place like an unwanted plague and Jun felt an indescribable presence of decay here. She felt as if there was once beauty in this room, but all there was now was despair...  
  
"Hello?" Jun nervously asked as she entered the room, the floorboards creaking from underneath her sneakers. She examined the gloomy chamber, her almond brown eyes darting towards the ceiling, on which cobwebs hung from like thin curtains of gray lace. Her eyes went from the ceiling and towards what she believed was an empty bed. What she saw next nearly gave her another shock of fright.  
  
A woman, clad in a plain light purple kimono sat upon the sheets. Her hair was tied back in a traditional bun, but some loose strands of auburn fell elegantly against the sides of her pallid, but beautiful face. Jun gaped at her, completely caught off guard by this woman's sudden arrival. However, she did not seem angered by the girl's fear. She held out a frail hand towards Jun's direction, beckoning the child to come to her. Jun stared back at her and examined her chestnut brown eyes and saw that there was something glistening in her eyes, realizing that they were tears.  
  
"You're crying..." Jun approached the woman and took her hand, feeling its warmth against her own skin. The woman led her to the bed, on which Jun sat herself next to her. The woman's hands rested onto Jun's face, their palms settling delicately against the girl's rosy cheeks. She then pushed back her raven hair from her face, save the few strands that hung from her pink ribbon above those large ebony eyes. A single tear escaped from the corner of the woman's eye, a small river of silver streaming down her cheek.  
  
"Why...are you so sad?" Jun asked in pure concern, not caring that she had never seen the woman before.  
  
She smiled in response, tucking away another lock of sable hair behind the girl's ear.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kazuya hastily left the confines of the limousine, not waiting for the chauffeur to open the door for him. As he entered his mansion he nearly threw off his expensive dress shoes, ignoring the greetings of the butler. He marched into his room, thankful that another day of school and a meaningless session with his psychiatrist was done with. He was about to go right into his room, until something had caught his attention. A door from the far end of the east wing was opened. The room that was once inhabited by his mother...  
  
He immediately rushed down the end of the hallway and reached the opened door. Infuriated that one of the servants might have carelessly walked into a room which had been forbidden for seven years he stepped into the chamber expecting to see the culprit changing the sheets of the bed or dusting off the old dresser. But what he found to his utter surprise was a small form of a young girl huddled upon the sheets of the bed. He stood there motionlessly in his shock, but quickly brought himself to confront the child. He went to the bed and took her by her tiny shoulders and shook her.  
  
"Wake up!" He demanded. The girl awoke in his grasp, her eyes flickering open to reveal almond brown depths. "Just what do you think you are doing?"  
  
She met the eyes of the boy who had awoken her, her senses still dulled by slumber. "Who...who are you?"  
  
"That's what I should be asking you!" Kazuya shouted at her. "You are not supposed to be in this room, it's off limits! How did you get into my house anyway?"  
  
"Your house?" She looked around the room and suddenly remembered where she was. "That woman...where is she?"  
  
If Kazuya was not dumbfounded before, he certainly was now. "Don't change the subject! There was no one except you when I came in here!"  
  
"But I saw her," Jun timidly answered. "She was right here, she was wearing a purple kimono. She-"  
  
Kazuya's hands dropped from the girl's shoulders. He felt his anger alter into utter bewilderment after what he heard. "...what did you just say?" 


	3. Confrontation

Shattered  
  
Chapter Three: Confrontation  
  
"...what did you just say?"  
  
Jun hesitated from saying anything else, noticing the expression of utter alarm on the boy's face.  
  
"I asked you a question. What did you just say?" He pressed on, slowly recovering from the shock of the girl's words.  
  
"...there was a woman sitting with me. She was wearing a purple kimono and she was crying-"  
  
"Do you think this is some joke?!" Kazuya hollered at her, his voice shaking with rage. "This isn't funny, you little brat!"  
  
"...I'm not lying..." Jun timidly responded, confused by the boy's ferocity. Her eyes dropped from his face and onto the old floorboards as if she had suddenly found something interesting there. "I'm really not. I did see a woman here on this bed."  
  
"Did the butlers put you up to this? Did they?!" Kazuya did not allow himself to believe the girl's words.  
  
"Please don't shout at me," was all that Jun managed to reply. Her body was trembling with anxiety, but she forced herself to face her accuser, making direct eye contact. "I'm telling the truth, honest..."  
  
There was silence between the two of them. The girl did not know what to say because she felt that telling the truth was sufficient enough. Kazuya took the chance to examine her face for the first time. He noticed that the ends of the denim jumper suit that she wore were frayed and her white sneakers were worn. Raven hair was pulled back with a pink ribbon except for the few bangs that hung over two round orbs of almond brown that looked back at him with a vivid clarity that he could not describe. By the look of her, she must have been around five or six years old.  
  
"There you are!" A voice sounded from the hallway. Both of them looked towards the owner of the voice and saw a relieved Nairusu. "Miss, I was wondering where you went off to."  
  
Immediately, the agitation returned to Kazuya. "Nairusu, I thought my father was paying you to do your job."  
  
A slight panic arose in the butler. "What do you mean, Master Kazuya?"  
  
Jun flinched at the name 'Kazuya'. Her eyes shot over to the boy that stood next to her and came to the realization that he was the one that Wang and Heihachi were talking about earlier in the limousine. His unruly jet- black hair and slightly built stature was enough to make him appear intimidating to anyone. She was drawn to those deep brown eyes of his that seemed to appear emotionless, yet she believed that there was something more to them. Something terribly sorrowful that could not be put into words...  
  
"What I mean is what is this girl doing in here? This room has been off-limits for seven years now. I don't remember today being an exception-"  
  
"It isn't his fault!" the gentle voice of Jun interrupted. Kazuya glared at her, irritated that she had the nerve to meddle in his business. "Please don't blame Nairusu-san. It was my fault that I wandered off from my room and came here."  
  
Kazuya's glare softened a bit; he was caught off guard by this girl's willingness to defend a lowly butler. Why would she go out of her way to stand up for someone that she barely knew?  
  
She stood up from the bed and landed on the ground, the dusty floorboards creaking as she did. She turned back to face Kazuya, her almond brown eyes holding his intently. "I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to be in here. I'm sorry."  
  
Kazuya just looked back at her in slight astonishment. He did not think that it was possible that a little girl such as this one actually did not let an adult take the blame for her actions. Usually children allowed their mistakes to be covered up by others and rarely accepted punishment for what they did.  
  
Nairusu cleared his throat and broke Kazuya's train of thought. "I wanted to tell you that dinner will be ready soon, Miss. I think that it is best for you to get washed up." With that the butler hastily left the two children alone, relieved that he was able to keep his job.  
  
Another few minutes of quietness passed between Jun and Kazuya, both not knowing what to say next. Jun felt that it was her time to leave, but before she had her foot out the door Kazuya stopped her. "If I ever find you in this room again, I will make sure that you will regret it."  
  
Jun looked back at him and found his dark ebony eyes glaring fiercely at her, but her eyes did not show horror to Kazuya's astonishment. She stared back at him peacefully as if she was deaf to his promising threat. "I won't do it again," she replied tranquilly. She stepped into the hallway and took one last look at the older boy. "I'm sorry that I upset you. I didn't mean to," she added, and walked down the hallway back to her room. She thought it would be best to take a bath before attending dinner for the first time in this mansion.  
  
Kazuya watched her as she went, not certain about the conversation that had taken place just now. He has never known anyone that did not dread or back down to his callous manner until now. He was sure that the girl was frightened when he had shaken her from the chains that bounded her in sleep, but afterwards she was able to stand her ground. Kazuya was able to sense fear in people just by looking at them, but when his eyes met those of that girl, there was no terror in them. Only sympathy...but for whom?  
  
"Lovely little creature, isn't she?" The familiar unearthly voice came into his ears. Out of thin air, the violet demon that he came to know as his sole companion appeared before him. Kazuya felt his yellow talons perch themselves on both of his shoulders. They were digging slightly into his firm flesh but he paid them no mind. After the hellish training that he received from his father, he was able to build a tolerance to pain.  
  
"How should I know," Kazuya retorted, tearing his eyes away from the girl and onto the bed that he found her on when he entered the room. "Or care for that matter?"  
  
"There is no need to hide your emotions from me, my young Kazuya. What she said hurt you deeply, did it not?" The demon persisted, knowing that he had touched upon the truth. "Why was that?"  
  
Kazuya remained silent, his eyes fixating on the rumpled blankets strewn about on the mattress. There used to be a time that those blankets were thrown over the body of someone he dearly loved. Someone that he would never be able to see again...  
  
"Kazuya, my son..." the feeble voice of the woman called out to him. The small boy obediently went to his mother's bedside without delay. She was wearing her favorite light purple kimono as she did everyday, despite the fact that she was terribly ill. Her vivacious face was a deathly shade of white but her eyes still shone with the love that she held for her son. Her pale lips formed a small smile as he drew nearer to her, the weak fingers of her hand running through the softness of his wild dark hair. "What is it today?"  
  
"Tuesday, Mother."  
  
"Is it still snowing outside?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
His mother laughed softly. "You've grown so much these past five years. I can still remember holding you in my arms when you were only a baby. You have always been the most precious treasure in my life."  
  
Kazuya held onto her hand, a bit startled that his mother was talking in this way. There was something in her trembling voice that sounded so...final. "Mother, you should rest."  
  
She only smiled. "You have a wisdom beyond your years, my son. I could never have been prouder of raising you."  
  
"Mother, please..."  
  
"No matter what happens Kazuya, you must remain strong," her hand smoothed the side of his face when she saw the distressed look in her son's eyes. "My beautiful child...I love you more than you could ever know. Always remember that..."  
  
Her hand slowly dropped from his face and hung over the mattress on which she laid. Her eyes were closed and no breath escaped from her lips. She was still where she was, no longer taking the animations of life.  
  
Kazuya shook her hand, expecting his mother's chestnut brown eyes to open. "Mother?"  
  
No answer. She showed no signs that she was awake. He shook her again, harder this time, his voice almost raised to a shout. "Mother? Mother?!"  
  
The Devil placed another hand upon his shoulder, bringing him back to the present. Kazuya looked up at his towering figure, staring deeply into those blood red eyes of the beast. "You still carry that wound after these seven years."  
  
Kazuya said nothing, the inexpressible grief collecting itself into the depths of his heart. He felt the Devil's muscular arms wrapping around the boy, his head resting upon his powerful chest on which a sickly crimson scar streaked across like a jagged bolt of lightning. He was at ease in the embrace of this demon, the fact being that he was his savior as well as the only friend that he had.  
  
"There will be a time when you no longer have to feel sadness," the Devil consoled him. "I will help you attain the happiness that you have been robbed of. You must hold onto that hatred that burns in the darkest depths of your soul."  
  
"But how?"  
  
"Your hatred was the only thing that drove you to climb up from the ravine where your father left you for dead. You were able to avoid the Reaper's scythe because of that loathing, and because of it I chose to help you. You will become stronger than you ever imagined, and one day you will be able to hear your father's screams of torture and feel his mortal blood upon your hands. He will be punished for all he has done, and you will receive the vengeance that you solely deserve."  
  
Kazuya felt a rush of joy and anticipation flow through his being from the promise of sweet justified revenge. He would want nothing more than to see his father in a crumpled, beaten heap upon the ground. For once he wanted to be the torturer rather than the victim he was forced to play the role of since the day he learned to walk.  
"You should get to dinner, Kazuya. You will need the strength to train with your dear father tonight," the Devil reminded him in the affectionate tone of a parent. He was gone as quickly as he came, leaving Kazuya alone in the deserted room. The youth obeyed, a bit saddened by his ally's departure. He strolled out of the room and closed the door behind him, also shutting the memories of that particular January night in the far corners of his mind. To grieve over the past was pointless, especially when it was not the past that mattered at all.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jun rubbed the cotton softness of the towel against her hair vigorously in an attempt to dry it. Although it was short, her hair also happened to be very thick. She was dressed in her usual denim jumper suit and white socks. Satisfied with her hair, she began disassembling the tangles with a brush when a knock to the bathroom door sounded.  
  
"Miss," Nairusu's voice called, "are you ready to come down to dinner?"  
  
"Yes," Jun answered, neatly putting the towel back on the rack. She tied her hair back with her pink ribbon and unlocked the door where Nairusu stood waiting.  
  
"I'll show you to the dining room." He stated and Jun followed him out of her room. Her wet hair clung to the smooth sides of her face, but she did not mind. Again that feeling of nervousness returned to her as Nairusu led her to the staircase and through the foyer. They walked through the living room where Jun caught eye of all of the expensive furniture pieces and priceless artifacts, such as invaluable vases and antique Persian carpets. If she were to calculate the value of everything under the roof of the Mishima manor, she would come to the conclusion that not even in a hundred years would she be able to raise enough money to meet that final sum.  
  
They arrived in the dining room, where Kazuya and Heihachi were quietly attending to their meals. The butler pulled out a chair across from where Kazuya sat as a gesture for Jun to sit down. She did and the butler left all three to their dinners. Again, that awkward lack of words was present. Jun timidly began eating what was on her plate with the fork shaking between her fingers. Judging by the length of the table, it would have been able to seat about thirty people at the most. She looked across to see the boy that confronted her earlier, but his eyes did not meet hers. Guilt suddenly brewed inside of her; she had remembered that he was obviously troubled by what she had said earlier. She never was fond of seeing people distressed, whether they were strangers or not.  
  
"So," Heihachi said from the head of the table. Jun's head shot up and her fork clumsily clattered on her plate out of surprise. "Wang tells me that you are from Yakushima."  
  
"Yes, Mishima-sama," she feebly replied, picking up her fork carefully this time.  
  
"Whom do you live with?"  
  
"I live with my father in our village."  
  
"What about your mother?"  
  
Jun's appetite diminished after the last question. Her anxiety was now replaced by a sudden discomfort. In doing so, she put down her fork on her plate and was quiet, swallowing the last bit of food in her mouth. Kazuya had realized her abrupt change in manners, but he pretended that he did not notice and continued to eat. "My mother passed away when I was two."  
  
"Such a pity," Heihachi said without a touch of remorse to his voice. Kazuya contained himself from laughing in scorn: he knew that his father did not give a damn about the death of this girl's mother.  
  
The dinner was hushed afterwards, Jun eating what her stomach would allow her to. There were no exchanged words between father and son, which Jun found unusual. Whenever she had meals with her father, they would always talk as they ate. But for some reason, Heihachi acted like his son was not in the same room. And Kazuya did not even make an effort to start a conversation.  
  
After about fifteen minutes, Jun decided that she was not hungry. "May I be excused, Mishima-sama?"  
  
Heihachi nodded passively and Jun slid off of her chair, taking her plate off of the table. "Um...where is the kitchen?"  
  
The elder Mishima let out an amused chortle. "Just leave it on the table, dear. The butler will get it."  
  
Again, Jun's cheeks blushed. "Oh, all right..." She did not want to offend the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, so she did as he told her to. She exited the room to explore the house, Kazuya's eyes watching her carefully as she did.  
  
"I expect you at the dojo in fifteen minutes," Heihachi coldly declared to his son, and left for the staircase to change his clothes.  
  
Kazuya knew what was in store for him there: his blood smearing upon the floor and hearing his own screams of pain as he attempted futilely to defend himself against his father. But he showed no signs of fear, composedly finishing his meal. For he knew that one day it will be his father's blood that will run from his fingers, and that was worth experiencing all the suffering that Heihachi Mishima could muster onto him.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jun filled the small clay pot with dark rich soil until it was full to its rim. With her index finger she pierced the soft soil and formed a hole about two inches deep. Her hand reached into her pocket and felt the small seed that she housed there. She took it out and dropped it gingerly into the hole and covered it back up again, lightly packing the soil on top of it. She used a small watering can that Nairusu had provided her with to drizzle the seed with the cool clear liquid. The soil accepted Jun's gift generously, absorbing the water immediately as a dry sponge would in its place.  
  
"Miss," Nairusu beckoned her from the door that led into the kitchen. "Come, it is getting dark."  
  
Jun consented since the dark veil of night was quickly overtaking the sky. She took the flower pot into her hands and met Nairusu at the door and went back into the house.  
  
"Can I keep this in my room, Nairusu-san?" She asked hopefully.  
  
"I do not see why not," Nairusu replied. "It is half past nine. I think that you should go to bed now."  
  
He led her through the sparkling clean kitchen and into the dining room. Jun saw an empty table where Kazuya and her father were eating dinner earlier that evening. "Where are Kazuya-sama and his father?"  
  
The butler ignored her question, the pace of his footsteps now hastening. Jun was now a bit puzzled by his action. "Nairusu-san?"  
  
"They have gone out of the house," Nairusu blandly answered. The young girl was curious: it seemed that the butler had known something that he did not wish to share with her.  
  
"Will they be back soon?"  
  
"I am not certain," Nairusu quickly replied. After they traveled up the stairs and into the east wing, the butler stopped at her chamber door. "I will wake you an hour before breakfast is served tomorrow." He turned on his heel and left down the hallway with that same hurried pace as if to avoid anymore questions from the young Kazama.  
  
Concern gathered inside of Jun for the heir of the Mishima Zaibatsu. When he had glared at her in anger due to her mistake, irritation was not the only thing apparent in them. She also saw a silent anguish in him, an agony that he did not desire to reveal. It was enough to feel empathy for him, despite his cold and apathetic manner towards her.  
  
Jun went into her room and headed towards the windowsill. She placed her plant there so that when the first rays of the sun crept into the room, it would not be denied the light that it needed to mature. She looked out her window in boredom, the stars glowing resonantly back at her. Jun was happy with the fact that the Mishima estate was a far enough distance away from the blinding lights of Tokyo that she was able to see the night sky without being blinded by the glare of the neon luminosities of the metropolis. Staring into the depths of the heavens was something that she had always enjoyed as a child. She would often sit outside of her house for hours gazing at the radiant moon and recognizing star constellations until her father called for her to come inside.  
  
She stared deeply at the moon, the paleness of the white orb stirring something within her memories. It was so colorless, so pallid, just as that woman's face was.  
  
She remembered seeing her sitting upon the bed, motioning Jun to come join her. Although she was hesitant, the girl gave in when she saw that the woman's eyes were glistening with tears. Out of the kindness of her heart, Jun approached her and sat at her side, allowing the woman's hands to examine her round face. Even if she felt a bit awkward, there was a motherly warmth radiating from the woman. A warmth that convinced Jun that she would not do any harm towards her. She recalled falling asleep with the woman's brown eyes watching her lovingly as a parent would after tucking his child into bed. Although there were no words spoken between Jun and the mysterious woman, she knew that there was an indescribable misery in her. She felt that there was also a desperation in her eyes that Jun could only see, a plea for help that did not need words. But what was it? Her eyes haunted her, like those of Kazuya's...  
  
Restless from her thoughts, Jun left her room and into the stillness of the vacant hallway. She walked further into the darkness, the shadows teeming about, avoiding the beams of moonlight that shone through the windowpanes. She halted at the door that had once welcomed her after her arrival to the mansion, but now it was shut firmly in place.  
  
She placed her right hand onto the wooden surface, undaunted by the darkness that surrounded her. "I'm sorry that I can't visit you again, but I don't want to upset Kazuya-sama." She paused, but continued as if she was talking to a person right in front of her. "...were you crying because you needed someone to help you? Is that why you wanted me to sit with you?"  
  
There was no answer from the other side of the door. Nor did Jun need one. "I...don't know what you need or what I can do, but...I'll help you, if that's what you really want. Well, I have to go now...good night."  
  
Jun returned to her room in silence and realized that she had yet to fully unpack all of her belongings. She placed her suitcase next to her dresser, promising herself that she would stow away its contents tomorrow. She opened it and located her plain, white nightgown. She went into her bathroom to quickly change and brush her teeth. When she came back, she untied her ribbon and left it on the nightstand next to her bed. Jun earnestly climbed onto her bed and buried herself in the soft blankets, shutting off the lamp that also stood on the nightstand as she did.  
  
* * * *  
Kazuya staggered up the last of the stairs with what little strength that he had left. He felt the warm blood trickling from his fresh wounds and his body ached with fatigue. Again he was able to crawl away from the clutches of death, his will much too strong to ever submit to the pain brought upon him by his father's hand. He will not give up, not when he was promised so much...  
  
He tripped on the ragged end of his gi and fell to the ground. He struggled onto his knees, supporting himself with his wobbly, aching arms. Kazuya heard a door creaking open, and saw the small form of a child approach him. "Kazuya-sama?" He recognized the gentle voice now. "What...what has happened to you?"  
  
"It is nothing that concerns you," he coldly replied, getting up to his feet. The moonlight illuminated the blood that tarnished his gi, making Jun all the more worried. "And I do not remember allowing you to address me by my first name."  
  
"You're bleeding," she said outloud, pointing out the obvious in her shock. "Come on, your wounds need to be cleaned-" She tried to help him by taking his hand, but he shook her off.  
  
"I said that it does not concern you!" He shouted at her, the annoyance in his boyish voice reverberating through the hallway. Jun said nothing, but remained where she stood, not wanting to leave him injured.  
  
"Please let me help you," she pleaded. "You're badly hurt and need to be treated."  
  
"I do not want your help," Kazuya said cruelly, and in doing so he shoved her away from him with such force that she collided with the with the wall to the left of her. She felt its solidness crashing against her fragile body, but she was oblivious to the pain that it had caused. Instead, she watched as Kazuya limped a few doors past her room and entered his own chamber, closing the door after him. She heard a clicking noise that indicated that he had locked it, making it now impossible to let her attend to his injuries.  
  
Jun was numb to the ache that had formed on her side. She advanced towards the room that Kazuya had went into, knowing that it was useless to knock. She was still for a moment, and sunk onto the floor. She sat there deeply worried, ignoring the bruise that throbbed on her arm from when he had pushed her aside into the wall with one swift movement of his hand. The girl did not speak or move, only stared at the door, hoping that he would come out and allow her to help him with his wounds. 


	4. The Morning After

Shattered  
  
Chapter Four: The Morning After  
  
His eyes opened to meet the black storm clouds above him. The cool raindrops splattered onto his entire body, but he was numb to their relieving touch. He lifted himself off the rigid exterior of the ground that he had landed upon. He sniffed the air and nearly vomited. There was an atrocious scent hanging about, that of which was extremely vile. He felt an extremely horrid pain throbbing on his chest and as a reflex his hands threw themselves upon it. There was a sticky warmth underneath his fingertips, something that was flowing from his chest. His eyes cast downwards, and what he saw had made his sick.  
  
A large diagonal gash streaked across his chest and down to his abdominal muscles. Flesh was torn open upon its infliction, blood streaming from the opening, a grisly red cascade pouring from the poor boy's wound. Had it been any deeper, glistening white bone would have been revealed.  
  
What had he ever done to deserve this? He had never known the depths of his father's hatred of him until now. To be thrown off a cliff and left for dead as casually as a child would dispose of his toy was unthinkable. But he had survived, whether or not he intended to.  
  
"He wants me to die," he whispered out loud as a distant rumble of thunder was heard over the splashing of the raindrops. "...I won't let him get what he wants, not after what he did to me..."  
  
He staggered over to the base of the great ravine and clutched the jagged rocks, pulling himself off from the ground in an attempt to climb. His body cried for death after the multiple injuries it had received, his mind was too weary to even function, all that kept him going was that white hot hatred that burnt inside of his heart. That was all he needed to force himself to scale up the rocks with his bare hands and feet. To see his father's face contorted with pain was all that he wanted now, to feel his blood dripping upon his hands, to hear his cries of agony, was all that fueled Kazuya to continue his ascent.  
  
"I can't die here," he seethed through clenched teeth as his scarred hand reached for another rock. "Father...you don't deserve to live after all you've done. I won't let you...even if I have to kill you myself..."  
  
Kazuya woke up, opening his eyes and letting out a sharp gasp. He sat up from his mattress, his heart racing turbulently. His dark brown eyes scanned the room: he saw all of the papers strewn across his oak desk, the spines of all the multiple books that his shelves housed, and the scent of the candles that were organized in no particular fashion around his chamber. The sweat rolled off of his forehead after he had grasped that what he had saw in his thoughts just now was only a memory. His hand reached underneath the top of his pajamas to trace the wound that his father had given him on that fateful day. Even if it was pitch dark in his room, he has had that scar for so long that he knew by heart where it was located.  
  
The flesh had healed itself over the gash, mending it so that no more blood would escape from his body. However the injury was so deep that Kazuya would have to carry it as a constant reminder of the result of his father hurtling him off the cliff and into the shadows below. If he had any doubts about how his father truly felt about him, Kazuya only needed to trail his fingers along his hideous scar to remind himself of how Heihachi had forsaken him. He would never care about the welfare or good being of his son. Kazuya knew that he loved watching him drown in his misery or suffer at his hand during each training session. Heihachi would never let him out of the house except to attend school or to go to the appointments with his psychiatrist, which he knew only added to Kazuya's despondency. Every other minute was devoted to being locked in that wretched dojo and desperately struggling to survive through sparring. Kazuya was not just fighting his father; he was fighting to ensure that he would live to see another sunrise.  
  
His hands reached out towards his brass clock, its hands reading fifteen minutes after four. He would not have to prepare for school and sit down to breakfast for another two hours. Kazuya was about to lay back down again, but he heard a shuffling from outside his door. His muscles tensed as a natural reaction while he got out of bed. He knew that all of the butlers were not due to arrive until five o' clock, and he doubt that his father was lurking outside of his room. He cautiously walked towards the door, prepared to pounce upon whoever was on the other side if needed be. His hand grasped the doorknob and he swung it open, expecting to see a shadowy figure recoiling back into the darkness of the early morning. But he saw no one in the hallway, that is, until he looked below him to find the sleeping form a girl, clad in a white nightgown.  
  
Kazuya was startled to find her there. After he had shouted at her and shoved her into a wall in his impatience, he assumed that she would go back to her room to sleep. But to see the girl huddled upon the wooden floor outside of his door had taken him aback. Why was she laying there asleep when anyone would agree that sleeping on a soft featherbed mattress was more comfortable than sleeping on solid ground? She had a reason for being there instead of being locked away in a colorful world of dreams from the comfort of her bed. It was as if...she had been waiting for him and had fallen asleep in the process. He remembered her pleading with him to allow her to treat his wounds the night before, despite his responses of denial. He thought that after he had gone so far as to push her forcefully away from him, she would stop meddling and go back to her own business. But she obviously did no such thing to Kazuya's surprise. Had she actually want to look after his wounds? Was she...worried about the well being of a person that she had just met?  
  
He shook his head, chiding at himself. Why would she be so eager to care for a stranger that she has never known? Yet, why would she still be right outside his door if not out of genuine concern?  
  
He saw her shift onto her other side as she slept, muttering something inaudible as she did. He saw a blue mark upon her milky white skin and realized that it was inflicted by him after he sent her crashing against the wall. An unfamiliar sentiment of guilt formed within him, something that he had never felt in countless years. He bent over her and slipped his arms underneath her head and slim legs. Effortlessly, he rose onto his feet, carrying the girl in his arms as she slept. He took her back to her room and placed her on her bed, where the silk sheets had been thrown aside after she heard him in the hallway. He pulled back the sheets over her tiny form and stared at her while she laid peacefully in slumber. He looked at the girl, the moonlight that escaped from the curtains illuminating her adorable face.  
  
Her ivory flesh and silken raven hair had given her the resemblance of a porcelain doll. However, from what he could tell she did not act like one. Whereas a doll would stay stationary throughout the events that transpired before its artificial glassy eyes as it sat in place on a shelf, this child did not do the same. She seemed to come to life in a fit of passion whenever she felt that she had to, like she had done to defend Nairusu. Unlike the vacant eyes of a doll, hers were sparkling and expressive with a touch of solemnity to them. There was more underneath her timid demeanor that roused Kazuya's curiosity, and he hated to be frustrated by not knowing what it was. Ignorance was bliss if you were a fool, and he of course would never want to be as such.  
  
He took one last look at her, both perplexed and aggravated by her mysterious character. He walked out of the room and back to his chamber, figuring that two more hours of sleep would not hurt.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Miss!" A loud knock rapped on her door, stirring her from her sleep. "Breakfast will be ready in an hour."  
  
Jun opened her eyes to find herself in a massive, elegantly-furnished room. It took her a few seconds to come to the realization that she had spent her first night in the Mishima Estate. "I'll be down," Jun groggily replied as she got off from her bed when it had struck her. She slept through the night in here?  
  
Jun remembered clearly sitting upon the floor outside of Kazuya's room, waiting for him to grant her entrance so she could care for him. She was so worried in fact that she must have fallen asleep without knowing it. But then, how did she move from one place to another? Did one of the butlers see her lying on the floor and took her back to her room...or did HE?  
  
Remembering the injured and battered state she had found him, anxiety overtook her like a powerful wave. She rushed from her room in search of the older boy, completely forgetting about changing out of her nightgown. She practically flew down the long flight of stairs and looked about the dining and living rooms. Seeing that he was absent from both, she continued her search in the kitchen, finding only the family cook.  
"Excuse me," she addressed the man, the large chef's knife that his right hand brandished stopping midair before chopping the stalk of celery beneath its metallic blade. "Did you see Kazuya-san come by here?"  
  
"Master Kazuya? He is in the courtyard." the chef answered, and went back to nimbly chopping the celery.  
  
"Thank you." Jun answered gratefully and entered the courtyard from the white lattice doors that were in the back of the large kitchen. She ran along the path, her small feet occasionally coming across a stray pebble or two. Her heartbeat was irregular and rapid with concern for the silent Mishima heir as he was nowhere to be found near the neatly kept bushes or shrubbery. The winding cobblestone path finally led her to the very far reaches of the expansive courtyard, and to her relief, Kazuya.  
  
He was clad in his pinstriped pants and blue vest, sitting on the edge of a bench completely built of white granite. His back was to her since he was staring into the direction of a man-made pond whose clean waters served as a marine home to various colored koi fish. A small cataract trickled down several ragged rocks that surrounded the pond like a fortress of stone. A small garden of a few remaining irises that had thrived in the earlier months of summer swayed lightly in the morning breeze, crystals of frost glistening from their indigo faces.  
  
Jun was about to call out his name, but she remembered the events that transpired last night. Although he was cruel in his manner of informing her, he was correct: she never was granted permission to address him by his name. "Um...good morning."  
  
His head wheeled at her direction upon hearing the familiar timid voice and saw the girl standing a few feet from where he sat. She expected to see the already usual look of agitation on his brooding face, but to her surprise he appeared calm. "What is it?" He asked, the slight deepness to his voice a confirmation that he was maturing into an adolescent.  
  
"I was only wondering if your wounds have healed."  
  
"They are fine," Kazuya informed her coolly. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because, you were bleeding so much...I was kind of worried." She admitted openly to him, the clarity in her almond brown eyes never fading.  
  
Kazuya only stared at her for a moment and noticed the bruise on her little arm that he himself had inflicted upon her. He then looked away from her and back to the pond.  
  
"Did you take me back to my bed last night?" She asked coyly.  
  
"...yes."  
  
"You did? Thank you very much then-"  
  
"Think nothing of it. I only moved you because you were in the way of my door." He callously responded, although the reason he gave was not entirely the truth.  
  
"Oh...sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."  
  
"What were you doing on the floor in the first place?"  
  
Jun's feet shuffled through the dew-laden grass. "I was just afraid. You were so hurt last night that I was scared that something serious might have happened to you if you weren't treated."  
  
Another awkward moment of silence passed between the two children, the melodic songs of the awakening birds sounding through the frosty stillness of the morning. The beams of the sun slowly crept across the blades of grass like countless vermillion serpents.  
  
"Why did you defend Nairusu yesterday?"  
  
Bewilderment struck her as if lightning had jolted her senses. "W- what?"  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself. Why did you go out of your way to stand up for a pathetic man who makes his living off of hanging coats and scrubbing toilets all day?"  
  
"His job doesn't matter to me. I didn't want Nairusu-san to get into trouble for something that I did. It wouldn't be fair." Jun answered defiantly.  
  
"Little girls like you wouldn't know what's fair or not." He criticized in a mocking tone.  
  
"I don't have to be a grown-up to know that it's wrong for someone else to take the blame for your own actions." Jun replied in her gentle voice. "If Nairusu-san was punished because of me, it would be wrong. I didn't want that to happen."  
  
He was silent, quietly astounded by the girl's tranquil, yet obstinate, behavior. Again, her youthful appearance had misled her age. There was something beyond her years that her innocent countenance failed to show, making her the more enigmatic.  
  
She drew closer to him as he was seated upon the bench to take a closer examination at his injuries. She suddenly took his arm gingerly and suspended it with her hands, pulling the sleeve of his white shirt up to his shoulder. He did nothing to stop her and allowed her to inspect his other arm, observing her with his scrutinizing chestnut brown eyes. She did not notice him staring at her, too absorbed with making sure that the wounds had sealed themselves and were not in need of sterilization or bandages. She saw that there were two deep scars that embedded the firm skin above the vital veins on both his wrists, but she said nothing, thinking that they had been there last night. He noticed that she had seen them, but he knew that she was much too young to realize the cause of those particular cuts was the razor sharp kiss of a knife.  
  
Her fears put to rest for the time being, she released his arm and watched as he rolled his sleeves back down. "What is your name?"  
  
"Jun Kazama." She answered soundly. "Oh...what should I call you if you do not wish for me to-"  
  
"My first name." He interjected abruptly and stood up from the bench so that the girl was barely half his height.  
  
"Okay then...Kazuya-sama." A small smile formed at the corners of her mouth, displaying the premature, but glowing beauty that was apparent in all children. For some reason, the beauty that she possessed was something unique from all toddlers her age. Kazuya felt an odd urge to grin in response to her smile, but he did not allow himself to do so.  
  
He watched her from the bench as she approached the pond where the koi fish swam. When they had detected the presence of a human, their large heads surfaced, water sliding down their gills and round black eyes. Jun saw a tangle of brilliant oranges and reds as the fish emerged from the sanctuary of the pond's waters, their large mouths opening and closing as they bobbed up and down in the water.  
  
"They look hungry," she commented to him.  
  
Kazuya walked over to her side and chuckled. "The gardener feeds them daily, so don't give them any food while you stay here. If you feed them too much, they die."  
  
"Poor things," she remarked. "Must be terrible to be starving all the time."  
  
"That's their fault. They're all gluttons." Kazuya simply answered.  
  
Jun's sympathy for the fish did not waver under Kazuya's statement. "You'd be the same way too if you were cooped up in a pond all day with nothing to do."  
  
"Maybe. That's why I'm glad that I'm not a fish."  
  
Jun pondered his answer and the thought of Kazuya in the slippery form of a constantly hungry koi fish had greatly amused her. She burst into a fit of giggles, startling the older boy.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
Jun shook her head rapidly, holding back her laughter by placing her hands over her lips. "Nothing!"  
  
Kazuya raised a suspicious eyebrow. "If you have something to say, then say it."  
  
The younger girl looked back at him, her ebony eyes twinkling with laughter. "I just thought of you as a fish. That's all."  
  
His pride was greatly offended, having being compared with a lowly creature such as a brainless fish. "Oh, and I suppose you think that's humorous, do you?"  
  
Jun's giggles subsided after hearing the insulted tone in Kazuya's voice. "A little," she confessed.  
  
"Well then, what about this?" Kazuya asked, scooping up a handful of water from the pond and throwing it at her. She gasped as the cold sensation of the water seeped through her nightgown. The chilly morning air had only made matters worse as she felt the water dripping down her skin.  
  
Kazuya smirked in triumph from seeing the shocked look on the girl's face, but was taken aback when she had the nerve to thrash the water, rippling with the surveying koi fish, with her own hands and splash him back. The frigid water trickled through his sleeveless vest and he felt his shirt clinging tightly to his chest as a result of Jun's retaliation. He was both unnerved and stunned that the shy, quiet child actually had returned his assault just now.  
  
But of course, being himself, he was not going to take this lying down.  
  
He lashed at her with more ferocious attacks of water with the intentions of soaking her. Jun's onslaught did not halt either as she gathered as much water that her little palms could hold and flung it towards her enemy. The usual tranquility of the morning at the Mishima manor was ruptured by the seldom heard laughter of Kazuya that day.  
  
***Sorry that this chapter was a bit short...or all my chapters normally that way? In any case, I hope that this one wasn't corny or rushed. I honestly think that the last scene was cute, but not everyone might agree with me.  
  
But I'm glad that I've been getting such positive reviews. This fanfic has been an idea of mine that I've kept to myself. I have so many ideas with this that the possibilities are endless, so keep reading if you want! Thanks to Kazuya-sama, mashpotatobunny, Ksim3000, Dragon Empress, Chibi- Sugababy, and Aoi Shidou. It's great to know that people actually read a fic on this website that isn't Xiaojin related! 


	5. Promise

Shattered  
  
Chapter Five: Promise  
  
A yawn was caught in Kazuya's throat as he sat back in his uncomfortable chair. It was first period, meaning almost an hour of Literature class to endure before he shuffled onward to History. He almost wished that this class would linger on forever: studying about dead people was not how he would want to spend his time. It was bad enough that he had to wait for his deadweight class to catch up on the part of the lesson that he had already finished earlier.  
  
He placed a hand upon his chest and felt that his clothes had completely dried from the water battle that ensued between him and the girl this morning. Involuntarily, a grin tugged at the corner of his lips as his mind recalled the event. He looked out to the window where the yellow rays of the sun poured into the usually gloomy classroom. Funny, the sunlight seemed brighter this morning, or perhaps he had never noticed it before. In any case, a strange feeling had overcome Kazuya this morning as unexpectedly as a powerful wave pouncing upon the incalculable grains of sand on a shore. It was such an alien sensation, but he felt that he had experienced one before. To put it ironically, like a familiar stranger.  
  
She has barely stayed for a day and already he was confounded by her. Any parent would have been happy to have her as a child. As much as he hated to admit, she was undeniably cute for a six year old. She was uncommonly polite, sincere, and strangely enough for a child her age, well behaved. But his attention was not drawn to her because of that. It was the fact that for some bizarre reason, she was actually mature. How a six-year- old could be so solemn and considerate was beyond him. She didn't even know him and already she openly says that she was concerned about him. That was baffling as it was, that she could actually fret over the condition of a stranger she had never seen before. But the most puzzling aspect of the whole matter was...that he actually BELIEVED her. Kazuya was a pessimist at heart and a realist in addition to that. He never put his faith in anyone, let alone the demon that had saved him the day that he nearly slipped into the inescapable boundaries of death. He has never trusted any other single human being, old and new faces alike. He did not allow himself too; he felt that people were never reliable and would always go back on their promises. Even his own mother had done that to him. She vowed to always be with him at his side, to bandage his wounds after he would fall onto the ground, to hold his hand when he was afraid, to kiss him good-night before he fell asleep in his bed...and she had unexpectedly abandoned him, whether or not she wanted to. Her illness was her untimely end and the undeniable truth that human beings were untrustworthy. To have the one person that you entrusted with your deepest love and happiness and only to lose her in the end and to feel the greatest pain eating away the remains of your soul was the supreme act of betrayal. And it served as proof to Kazuya that no one should have to carry anyone else's burden of emotional baggage on their shoulders.  
  
But when he saw Jun asleep at his door, when he heard her laugh while she splashed wave after wave of water at him in an attempt to defend herself, he felt that she was different. After he had threatened her when he found her in his mother's room, after he shouted at her and bruised her, and even after he criticized her in scorn for protecting Nairusu, she didn't run away like anyone else would have. She remained where she stood, impervious to his coldhearted manner towards her. Why didn't she leave him? Even if she was afraid, why did she stay with him despite what he said and did?  
  
"...read the next two pages in silence please..."  
  
Kazuya snapped back from his thoughts and realized that he was back in the classroom. The heads of his classmates were bent over their assigned pages as their hands automatically scribbled down quick notes on pieces of lined paper. He scolded himself for zoning out during a new assignment and instantly set out to find the appointed pages. There was no need to get worked up over a silly girl that he did not know.  
  
-Still...-  
  
He took one last look at the world beyond the classroom's windows, where the bustling atmosphere of Tokyo was drenched in sunlight. -What's she's doing now?-  
  
* * * *  
  
Jun wondered off into the courtyard, now changed in her cotton T- shirt and denim jumper suit. The rich vegetation and welcoming flowers and shrubbery had called to her from the gloomy surroundings of the Mishima mansion. After another silent meal, Kazuya had shoved off to school and Heihachi went on his way to the Mishima Zaibatsu office building. The only ones in the house were Nairusu and the other servants. Jun was used to being lonely, but when she saw Kazuya went into the limousine and drove off into the city, she felt a bit saddened.  
  
She had not laughed in such a long time with another person before. Back at Yakushima, she was confined in her solitude. The other children have always left her out of their games and were always talking about her, whether she was able to hear them or not, they never cared. She was never accepted because she was different and that was reason enough for her peers to alienate her. Although she felt lonely, Jun decided that if people chose not to like her then that was their own choice, so she did not make an effort to try and play with the other children.  
  
However, Kazuya Mishima made her feel different.  
  
She would not lie to herself; she was frightened at first when he had found her in that room yesterday. For a twelve-year-old, his stature was more muscular than other boys his age. And his height was nearly twice than hers: it was like comparing a sapling to a full-grown oak tree. And those dark chestnut brown eyes of his, calculating and stern, had startled her when they had locked onto Jun from his somber face. But at the same time, they drew her to him.  
  
There was so much more beyond what Kazuya wanted her to see, Jun felt. She's only met him for a day but she can sense that behind that solemn and insensitive disposition of his, there was some sort of distress. He did not have to show it to prove that it was there, she already knew. He was in grief, those seemingly vacuous eyes of his told her. She could not put her finger on it now, but it was there. And that was enough for her heart to cry out for him.  
  
She knelt down towards the irises, their scent almost intoxicating to her. Their indigo and violet faces were streaked with slivers of bright yellow as they stood from their thick green stalks. Jun carefully felt the soft touch of their petals, velvet rubbing against her fingertips.  
  
"Purple..."  
  
A kimono of similar color ran through her mind suddenly, and her head shot upwards towards a certain window. It was empty, but Jun knew she was being watched from behind the glass panes.  
  
"...it's your favorite color, isn't it?"  
  
With her fingers she traced the stalk of a tall iris and swiftly snapped it off of the plant. She did the same to four more flowers and walked into the house, holding them by their stems in her arms. She walked up the massive staircase and headed to the east wing. When she had reached the very end she stopped at the door. She hesitated, but knocked softly.  
  
"Hello? Are you there?"  
  
As soon as she had asked, the door creaked and slowly swung open. Jun stepped into the dim room, the collecting blankets of dust giving her the urge to sneeze. There on the bed just as she had been yesterday was the pale woman, clad in her lilac colored kimono. The little girl approached her with the flowers cradling in her small arms like precious treasures.  
  
"I picked these for you." She held them out to her and the woman graciously took her gift by the stems. She held them close against her chest, the bright indigo hue illuminating her ashen face. Her fingers ran through Jun's silken hair lovingly, a beautiful smile painted on her lips.  
  
"...there is someone else like you that I know," Jun suddenly blurted out. The woman said nothing, the soft strands of the girl's hair trailing off of her frail fingers like streams of sable liquid. "He lives in Yakushima like me...but he doesn't go anywhere. He just stays in one place, no matter what. His family misses him so much and he doesn't even want to see them."  
  
The woman's arms wrapped themselves around Jun, surrounding the child in her warmth. The girl softly grasped one of the woman's arms, feeling the pallid skin. "I go to him whenever he wants me too, and I let him hold my hand. Whenever his hand touches mine though, it feels so cold, kind of like ice. But you're different...you're not cold at all."  
  
As usual, the woman said nothing but there was no need for her to do so. Her eyes were attentive and focused on Jun, indicating that she was listening. "He teases me and tells me jokes, but he isn't happy. I want to help him, but he won't even listen to me. He never lets me do anything for him and just pushes me away..."  
  
A scene in which she was pushed forcedly aside into the solidity of an impassive wall flashed through her mind. His dark eyes and bloodied face stood out from the obscurity of the shadows, revealing to her an expression of mixed emotions that resembled anger and pain.  
  
"...like Kazuya-sama. I thought that I wouldn't be able to do anything to help him either, but this morning when I heard him laugh...it was like there was a part of him that wanted to be happy. But...what can I do to help him?"  
  
She felt the woman's comforting arms leave her and Jun looked up to her with inquisitive eyes to see that the apparition was still smiling. With her index finger she pointed downwards to the ground. Jun's eyes followed and saw that a floorboard had been loose among the others. She got off of the bed and stood on her haunches. With her two hands she pulled off the floorboard, disturbing the thick quilt of dust. She pushed the stray piece of wood to the side to reveal a hollow cavity in the floor. She saw something sparkling faintly from the darkness and her hand slowly reached for it. Her palm brought the object upwards toward the few stray beams of sunlight that managed to enter the dusky room.  
  
A golden rectangular-shaped locket was what she discovered, the long chain that it was attached to swinging from Jun's hand. In curiosity, she gently opened it and found a small picture inside. A lovely woman donning a simple purple silk kimono was smiling from the portrait, where she stood under the blossom-laden branches of a full bloomed cherry tree. A parasol was positioned in her right hand and the left one was cradled tenderly around the shoulders of a small boy. His jet black hair was messily arranged about his head and his deep brown eyes were alive with vivacity and happiness, even if he was confined in a simple photograph. Jun examined the boy closer and her eyes widened when she knew who it was.  
  
"Kazuya-sama," she spoke out loud. Her eyes trailed from the grinning boy's face and onto the woman that he stood beside. "So, you're..."  
  
She looked back behind her to find that the bed was now empty. The irises were lying still on the spot where the woman had sat. Jun set the floorboard back in place on the floor and rose, wiping off the dust from her knees. She gazed at the trinket that she held in her hand, her innocent eyes locked onto the portrait.  
  
"Kazuya-sama, you look so happy there," she whispered as if the boy had been right in front of her. She went out of the room, closing the door behind her and proceeded to her chamber. She approached her bed and stowed away the trinket under the safety of her soft pillow.  
  
A sentiment of guilt gathered inside of her, but she knew that if she told Kazuya that she had been in a place that he had forbidden to enter again, he would certainly be angry. Besides, how would he react if she told him out of the blue that she had seen his dead mother right in this house?  
  
She understood now why he was so shocked when she said that she saw a woman in a purple kimono in that particular room. She comprehended the sorrow that swirled in the dark depths of his eyes and the disbelief that crossed his face as if someone had dealt a blow to him. And how could she blame him? How could anyone believe her if she were to say that she witnessed the spirit of a deceased woman wandering about the world of the living? Jun was not ready to tell Kazuya everything, not when she was able to get along with him for the first time. She did not want to see anymore distress in his eyes; there was already so much grief in his eyes that screamed from the pitiless countenance that he hid behind.  
  
Deciding that staying in the house would cause more disarray in her thoughts, Jun took off for the courtyard once more. The warmth of the sunbeams enveloped her affectionately, her raven hair and almond brown eyes glistening in its light. Jun walked along the path once more and gazed at the vast cloudless sky above her. She was too caught up with her thoughts and the beautiful scenery above her that she did not notice anything else, until she accidentally tripped over something solid on the path. Before she knew it she had stumbled onto the ground over the object and her fragile body met the cobblestone.  
  
"Ouch..." She supported herself off of the ground and was about to check for any bruises, until she heard a low, but audible, growling. Gradually, her head turned around to meet the giant, muscular bear looming over her. Its paws were in the air, bearing its sharp claws as if ready to strike, and he was snarling dangerously through his rows of jagged teeth.  
  
"...hello there," Jun politely greeted, throwing the massive creature off guard. It was not everyday that humans behaved in such a collected manner when they came face-to-face with a vicious creature that could tear them limb from limb with relative ease. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I didn't mean to wake you up."  
  
The bear's curiosity overwhelmed its instincts to protect its territory, and it began suddenly to sniff the girl with its large, wet nose. He sniffed the tiny girl's hair, its snout breathing heavily against her little ear. After a few more minutes of inspecting the girl, the creature came to the conclusion that this human was harmless. Its paws left the air and went back onto the ground below it so now it was standing on all fours. Jun giggled lightly as she stroked the bear's thick brown fur. The mammal panted contently; he was happy to receive attention from someone else than his master for once.  
  
Jun spotted something colorful lying motionless against the trimmed hedges. She walked over to it to find a round, bright yellow ball. The bear moved toward the toy, sniffing it and looking at it longingly as it did.  
  
"This is yours?" Jun picked it up and carried the large, but rather light, ball in her hands. She threw it up in the air and to her amusement, the bear got up on its hind legs again, its nose tilted upwards. Gravity tugged at the ball and it fell straight down, only to bounce back from the mammal's nose and into the air again.  
  
Jun laughed and clapped her hands, happy that she had made a new friend.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kazuya was so close to nearly wrenching off his vest and uncomfortable leather shoes. School, as usual, was hell. Complete and utter hell. Although it was one of the most prodigious private schools in all of Tokyo, Kazuya still managed to stay on top of all his classes without breaking a sweat. He would always fly by the exams without difficulty, easily interpret any instructor's lessons for the day, and be ahead of his peers in nothing flat. Even though he had detested mathematics, Kazuya had somehow lived with the torture of learning how to deal with numbers in ways that he will never care or bother to use in his future.  
  
But there had also been another reason that he wanted to leave school as quickly as possible. Like any other day, Kazuya would have been delighted to have abandoned his classes, but his house was not exactly a child's wonderland. However, he felt somewhat...eager to go back to his house. As if there was something waiting for him there that he was anxious to see...or rather someone...  
  
The limousine finally drove smoothly through the huge iron-cast gates of the manor and pulled up in front of the mansion. Kazuya did not wait for the chauffeur to open the door: sometimes it was beyond him why people actually get paid for doing daily routines that anyone else with half a brain can do themselves.  
  
Soft laughter echoed from the courtyard and to his ears like a calm melody. Instantly, he knew who it belonged to. Knapsack in hand, he followed the cobblestone path which winded around his house like a constricting snake. After moments of passing by more shrubbery and neatly kept hedges, he found the young girl balancing a bright yellow ball on her head. Her hands were outstretched from her sides, swinging to and fro as she attempted to keep her balance. He was about to call out to her, until he saw what was behind her.  
  
Looming over the unmindful child was his father's "pet", for lack of a better word. Its height was astoundingly impressive as it stood on its hind legs. Its paws were raised in the air, the pointed claws glinting dangerously in the sunlight. He was paralyzed for a moment, as if someone had injected him with venom and had stunned him. But he was not alarmed for his own safety. He was alarmed for Jun's.  
  
Snapping out of his stupor, he rushed to Jun as fast as humanely possible and grabbed her by the wrist, the ball dropping to the ground as a result of losing its human pedestal. He drew her to him close, his hands clasped around her arms protectively. His dark eyes were wide open as he stared cautiously at the animal, who now was standing on its four paws and growling threateningly through its serrated teeth.  
  
"Kazuya-sama-" Jun tried to speak to him but the older boy cut her off.  
  
"Don't move!" He whispered in a harsh tone, keeping his eyes on the bear cautiously as if it were to go in for the kill at any moment. "If you don't stand absolutely still, he'll maul you."  
  
"But Kazuya-sama!" Jun protested, her voice now lowered to a whisper but was adamant none the less. "Let me go. He isn't going to hurt me."  
  
"Correction, I let you go and he WILL hurt you. If you haven't noticed, those claws will rip you to shreds in an instant." Kazuya nearly yelled at her, frustrated and confused by Jun's lack of fear.  
  
"He thinks that you're going to do something to me. That's why he looks angry."  
  
"No, he looks angry because I'm taking away his meal from him." Kazuya remarked, his hold on her tightening a bit.  
  
The bear snarled and gnashed through its deadly teeth, snarling dangerously at Kazuya. Not wanting either one to be harmed, Jun looked up to Kazuya's face pleadingly, her almond brown eyes boring into his mahogany ones. "Please, Kazuya-sama. I'll be okay."  
  
Something in her eyes assured him that she would be safe; those deep ebony orbs stared desperately, but serenely, at him. After much hesitation, Kazuya consented and his hands freed her from his grip and Jun was able to move once more. The air had grown silent, and he noticed that the grizzly bear had ceased its growling once it had seen that Kazuya did not appear to be a threat to Jun. The girl retrieved the ball again and resumed playing.  
  
"It's your turn now," she declared to the bear and thrust the ball upward. The creature jumped onto its hind legs and caught the ball as it descended, balancing the toy on his nose.  
  
Kazuya stared in disbelief. Was what he was seeing true? Has his father's enormous, vicious pet actually been reduced to doing tricks as if he were a circus animal? He did not know whether or not to laugh or keep Jun at his side.  
  
"I was able to hold it on my head for thirty seconds, so you have to beat that if you want to win!" Jun chirped. Kazuya just gaped at her. How can such a timid little six-year-old girl not be frightened by an animal that could without a doubt tear her into pieces with only a swipe of its fatal claws?  
  
Jun turned around to face him, a happy smile on her lips. "How was school, Kazuya-sama?"  
  
"What did you do?" He asked her without thinking.  
  
Traces of confusion were apparent on her round, cherubic face. "What do you mean?"  
  
"How...how did you get Kuma to do that?" His voice was shaky from shock, but he wanted answers.  
  
"Oh, is that his name? Are you his owner?" She questioned innocently.  
  
"No, he belongs to my father. Now answer me." He demanded, recovering from his alarm.  
  
"I really didn't do anything, Kazuya-sama. I was walking in the garden and I tripped over Kuma and woke him up. He growled at me first, but then I stood still so he could sniff me. After that, he knew that I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."  
  
"You don't understand, do you? Do you have any idea what you just did? Normal people don't trip over a grizzly bear and usually stick around to get along with it!"  
  
Jun's eyes fell from his and to the cobblestones, her head bending lower. "...I'm...not really what you would call 'normal', Kazuya-sama."  
  
Kazuya's thick eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "Really? Then what would you call yourself?"  
  
The girl was silent for a moment, trying to find an answer that would be suitable for his question. "I...don't really know. I guess, different."  
  
Kazuya's aggravation over the seemingly reckless and thoughtless action that Jun had carried out subsided a bit upon hearing the somberness of her soft voice. "Or I guess I'm 'weird'. That's what I was called back at Yakushima."  
  
Her face was obscured by her thick raven hair, her bangs hanging over the two soulful almond brown depths of her eyes. He noticed that she was trembling a bit as if a chill had surrounded her, but there was not even a single breeze that rustled through the trees around them.  
  
-Damn it, is she going to cry?- He asked himself. -Little kids, how typical.-  
  
And yet, he felt sympathy for her. She was going through the same pain of alienation as he once did when his mother died. He didn't give a damn whether or not he was isolated from his idiotic peers, but there was still that pang of loneliness that ate away at him. He was pretty much anti- social to begin with, but at least he used to have his mother to confide in. He wondered if Jun had anyone to do the same?  
  
"You shouldn't be upset about it," he spoke, not wanting to see her tears. "People think the same of me, but I turned out fine."  
  
She looked attentively up at him, her large expressive eyes glistening.  
  
"You can't depend on people anyway. They always end up breaking their promises or turning their backs on you. So you have to deal with it."  
  
"...has anyone done that to you, Kazuya-sama?"  
  
He was taken aback by her sudden question and the naivety of her voice. He was at a lost of words, caught off guard by Jun's inquiry. Why would she ask that, and how would he answer? There was no way that he was willing to trust a child that couldn't possibly understand the torment and solitude that he had struggled with, especially a girl that he had just met. He didn't want to tell her that he stares at the ceiling every night because he wasn't able to find peace in sleeping anymore, or the abuse he has suffered by his father everyday he is thrown into that godforsaken dojo, or the satisfaction of the pain he inflicts upon his own wrists with the cold steel blade of the knife he kept in his nightstand beside his bed. But still...there was something about this girl, something about her innocent manner and the way she looked at him with those glowing almond brown eyes, that made him feel that he could actually trust her.  
  
"...once." He finally answered.  
  
She realized the startled look on his face after she had asked him, and felt guilty about it. She decided not to delve too much into his personal matters. Although she could not help but be concerned about him. Jun took Kazuya's hand with both her hands and held it, staring into his deep brown eyes and his stern, but young, face. He was once again surprised, but the small, yet radiant smile on her lips had calmed him. He did not push her frail hands away from his, allowing the smoothness of her little palms to caress his hand.  
  
"I won't do that to you, Kazuya-sama," she spoke gently. "I'm not going to leave you like that."  
  
He stared at her in skepticism and shock. Did she even know what she was saying? He wanted to yell at her for her ignorant words, to make her realize that she or anyone else cannot prevent him from feeling the pain of abandonment?  
  
"I promise."  
  
Those words...he had heard them before from his mother. He looked down at the girl who was holding his hand and staring at him with those tranquil ebony eyes. Just gazing at her peaceful eyes, that kindly smile, and hearing the sincerity and gentleness of her voice...it made him want to believe her. He WANTED to trust her.  
  
"Do...do you know what you're saying?"  
  
She nodded, the ends of the pink ribbon she wore in her dark hair bobbing. "I won't hurt you like that. I promise, Kazuya-sama."  
  
He looked at her, slightly dumbfounded but at the same time, at ease.  
  
It was then that Kuma had dropped the ball and it landed at Jun's feet. The girl immediately picked it up, giggling. "Darn it, I guess you beat me Kuma. Oh well...best two out of three?"  
  
She looked back at Kazuya, smiling brightly. "Do you want to play with us, Kazuya-sama?"  
  
He did not speak or move, but after a moment he broke into a small genuine smile. "Sure. But only for a while."  
  
Once again, the courtyard of the Mishima Manor was alive with the laughter of children. 


	6. Compassion

Shattered  
  
Chapter Six: Compassion  
  
Jun rocked back and forth as she sat on the leather interior loveseat in the expansive living room of the Mishima manor. She had woken up earlier this morning because of her lack of sleep during the night. Today was the day that Wang Jinrey was to come for her. The girl had no idea what the old sage had in mind to help her accomplish the goal that she had traveled all the way from her mountain home to Tokyo for, adding to her anxiety. She bit her lip and her fingers fidgeted incessantly as she waited for her mentor to arrive.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
She recognized the all-too familiar voice of Kazuya and her eyes traveled to meet his stoic face, which currently failed to show any traces of emotion. "Good morning, Kazuya-sama," she greeted in an attempt to sound cheerful. "I'm just waiting for Wang-san."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Jun's eyes abandoned his for the luxuriously carpeted floor. "Because he said that he would be back today to see me again."  
  
Although there was a sign of anticipation in her soft voice, Kazuya also sensed a sign of anxiety. In his curiosity, he decided to interrogate her further.  
  
"You don't sound happy. You have something against the old man?" He asked bluntly.  
  
Jun shook her head, her raven hair swinging to and fro against her smooth cheeks. "No, Wang-san is like a grandfather to me."  
  
"Then what's the matter? Are you going somewhere?" He hid his disappointment at the possibility of Jun leaving for Yakushima under his indifferent countenance. Even if she had been her for three days, he could not lie to himself that he had enjoyed her company.  
  
"I don't know," she mumbled audibly, "but that's what I'm scared of, Kazuya- sama."  
  
"What could you possibly be afraid of?" He retorted, remembering that in the short time she had stayed at the manor, she was able to befriend an enormous grizzly bear that could easily tear her into innumerable pieces.  
  
"...I'm afraid that...he's going to take me into the city." She admitted, shivering involuntarily at her own words.  
  
Kazuya chuckled lightly. "Tokyo? There is nothing frightening there."  
  
Jun began to hug her knees tightly for comfort. "That's because you lived here all your life. I've never left Yakushima until Wang-san took me here. If he is going to take me into Tokyo, then it'll be my first time in a big city."  
  
"Then why did you come here?"  
  
Jun fell into an awkward silence, burying her face against her knees. She did not want Kazuya to see the frustration that she tried with all her might to hide from him, but his dark eyes missed nothing.  
  
"...well?" He continued, hoping to receive an answer.  
  
"...because," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "...Otousan didn't know what else to do with me."  
  
Kazuya was taken aback by her solemn answer. Was that the reason why this little girl was here? Because her father wanted to throw her out of his house and into another? But what could Jun possibly have done to deserve this? She was only six years old and already her only living parent had driven her away from the one place she could claim as home. Could anyone be that cruel...?  
  
Kazuya's fists tightened together and his eyebrows furrowed. He knew perfectly well who was capable of such malice: the one man that had hurtled him into a ravine and who he was forced to call 'father'.  
  
Jun looked through the thick strands of her hair and saw the preteen's grimace. "...Kazuya-sama? Are you all right?"  
  
Her timid voice brought him back to his senses. Before he could answer, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps heading towards the living room. He looked behind him to see the kindly elder standing patiently at the entrance with his hands folded behind his back.  
  
"Good morning, Kazuya-kun," he greeted politely.  
  
"Don't call me that," he snapped. He hated it when he was regarded as a little child. It made him feel inferior.  
  
Wang's warm smile did not falter under Kazuya's hostility. "I apologize, Kazuya. You are growing into a young man and must be treated as such. In any case, have you seen my student?"  
  
-Student?- Kazuya questioned himself, and then looked at a nervous Jun. Upon hearing her mentor's inquiry, the girl slipped off of her place on the cushion she was sitting on and presented herself in front of Wang.  
  
"Hello, Wang-san." She welcomed him, a small smile obscuring the feeling of discomfort welling inside of her.  
  
The old man bent down and pulled his pupil into a hug. "It's good to see you again, Jun-chan. How have you been?"  
  
"Great. Kazuya-sama and his father have been very kind to me."  
  
"Thank you for taking care of her, Kazuya." He acknowledged the brooding youth who only shrugged in response.  
  
"It was nothing. Where exactly are you taking her?"  
  
"Into Tokyo," Kazuya caught the look of distress that crossed the raven- haired girl's features, but said nothing. What could he possibly do to help her when he had to go to school?  
  
"Will you be bringing her back here?"  
  
"Yes, I'll have her back before nightfall. Well then, we better get going, Jun-chan. Have a good day, Kazuya."  
  
The old man smiled once more and left the living room with a reluctant Jun following him. She looked back at Kazuya one last time, afraid that this would be the last time that she would see him. Even if she had only known him for a few days, he was the only one that made staying in this household comforting.  
  
Kazuya saw the helplessness in her almond brown eyes and felt a pang of sympathy for her. He knew that she would want nothing more than to hide in the sanctuary of the manor, but she had no choice to obediently trail after her mentor. Or was she doing it out of her own free will?  
  
"Good-bye, Kazuya-sama." She called softly out to him and left for the front foyer of the mansion.  
  
He was alone in the living room with only the glowing streams of the awakening sun strewn streaming through the windows and his thoughts for company.  
  
"...good-bye." He heard himself mutter, and he went to gather his things for another arduous day at school.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jun tightened her grip around Wang's wrinkled hand, standing her ground as frantic businessmen and chattering school children shoved past her. Something about all of this made Jun wish she had never taken a step outside of the limousine that brought both Wang and her into the heart of the Tokyo. Thousands upon thousands of tons of concrete surrounded her in the form of skyscrapers that stood like giants in the paved streets of asphalt. The air was filled with the deafening sounds of mangled traffic and numerous voices.  
  
Jun was frightened, if not petrified, but she still forced herself to walk alongside her mentor. She tried to keep in the same pace as he did, fearing that she would be lost in the sea of people if they were separated.  
  
"Jun-chan," Wang consoled her, knowing that she was uneasy. "There is no need to be afraid."  
  
"I am sorry, Wang-san." Jun answered back, her voice quivering from her anxiety. She shuffled along, feeling misplaced in the heavily populated metropolis.  
  
She looked up to the sky, but to no avail. She only saw a few patches of blue from where she was, for the skyscrapers that towered ominously over her and people who were twice her height had cast shadows upon her small figure, making it all the more difficult to see. In Yakushima, there were no concrete or people who were always in a rush. There was clean air that always lightly perfumed with the mixed smell of the great forests and freshly fallen rain. There were no automobiles blasting music and crowding the streets, only vast meadows of beautiful flowers and grasses that Jun would always frolic through since she was young. She remembered lying among the clusters of flowers as if they were a bed, enjoying the sun's warmth as it showered its light upon her, looking to the limitless skies of indigo without a care in the world...  
  
Jun stopped abruptly in her tracks, feeling herself involuntarily releasing her mentor's hand. Her eyes, wide with bewilderment and fright, traveled to the right of her where beyond the iron cast gates that trapped it, a vast cemetery laid. The monuments and graves, some consisting of marble or concrete, stood motionlessly from the beds of earth. A cold wind enveloped the small girl like a blanket, its icy touch chilling her to the bone.  
  
-Oh, hello. Have you come to visit me?-  
  
-I shouldn't be here! Why did they do this to me...WHY?!-  
  
-Such a pretty little girl...why are you here?-  
  
-God, why? I worshiped you all my life and this is how you repay me? By taking me away from the ones I love?-  
  
Pain screamed through her head as she grabbed handfuls of her sable hair, her heart pounding in her ears. She fell to her knees, her face an expression of anguish.  
  
-The blood...there was so much blood on that knife...-  
  
-He said that he loved me, said that we could be married...-  
  
-Mother? Mother, where are you?-  
  
"Stop it!!!" Jun screamed, her hands cupping over her ears. Memories, memories that weren't hers, flew through her mind. Images of people she never saw, people crying, laughing, smiling, screaming, dying...  
  
-My little Ayame...I wish I could of held you one last time...-  
  
-It's not fair, not fair at all...-  
  
-Look at that little girl screaming at us...how rude...-  
  
-Save me!!! I don't want to be here, I want to go home!!!-  
  
The voices rang through her ears, a twisted and grotesque melody. There was only darkness. The skyscrapers did not exist, the people were no more, Wang was not at her side...only darkness. She felt weightless, as if she was no longer bound by mortal chains of flesh and bone. The pain had gone and slipped away like it was never there. She suddenly collapsed and went into a state of sweet oblivion, not feeling the solidness of the concrete when she landed on the sidewalk.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Tell me Kazuya," the droning voice of his psychiatrist said, "why must you harbor such hostility towards people?"  
  
Where would he like him to start? Perhaps if Kazuya told him that the man that was paying him was the same one who threw his own five-year-old son into a ravine to die, perhaps that would be a satisfying answer. "People annoy me." He answered bluntly.  
  
"And why is that?" His psychiatrist asked with half-interest, his pen scribbling down on his notepad. Probably drawing pictures.  
  
"They just do."  
  
"Kazuya, I cannot help you if you continue not to tell me the truth."  
  
He nearly scoffed. As if this tedious man could possibly stand a chance at helping him. Kazuya knew that he was just doing it to keep his wallet thick with his father's money. This was so useless...Heihachi only scheduled these damn sessions so he could torture Kazuya and perhaps break him down to the point where he would be an obedient pet. But the young Mishima was not as docile as a tamed animal...he would have to resist his father's efforts to torment him. He would get his soon enough. Kazuya would make sure of it.  
  
His eyes looked to the clock, the hands reading thirty minutes after four. Only a half hour, and then he would undoubtedly be beaten by his father's hand after another training session in the dojo. What a wonderful life.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jun rested against the mattress of her bed, her blanket draping over her tiny form. The dizziness and fatigue that plagued her earlier were slowly fading away, yet the infliction that she received today was much deeper than any physical injury.  
  
"Are you sure you are all right, Jun-chan?" Wang implored, his usually calm voice wracked with deep concern for his young pupil.  
  
She smiled to reassure him. "Hai, Wang-san. Please don't worry about me." Her eyes then shifted away from his aged ones. "I'm sorry."  
  
He looked quizzically at her. "There is nothing to apologize for."  
  
"Yes there is," she stated firmly. "I failed Wang-san and Otousan. I wasn't able to do the one thing that I came to Tokyo for."  
  
"Jun-chan, these things take time. It's not a surprise at all that you were overwhelmed today. You are but a child; your gift will take much time for maturation."  
  
She cringed slightly at the word 'gift'. Jun never thought of her so- called abilities as anything of the matter. Gifts were something that brought people happiness and contentment. How could anything be considered a gift if it was the reason for her isolation and being sent to a huge metropolis that was entirely alien to her?  
  
"...okay, Wang-san." She answered meekly, not knowing anything else to say, and attempted another weak smile, covering up the war of frustration and fear that was waging in her mind.  
  
"Do not worry about anything. You will be able to control your ability one day, but in time."  
  
He stood and prepared to leave for Jun's door, smiling kindly at the girl. "I will be back sometime this week. While I am gone, please get some rest."  
  
Jun nodded, her raven hair sprawled amongst the soft surface of her pillow. Her large almond brown eyes watched as Wang left, gently shutting the door behind him. His footsteps sounded in the hallway as he went, and then eventually faded into nothing. Again she was left alone. She was accustomed to it by now, for she had been avoided all her life.  
  
The warm sunlight that streamed through her lattice windows did nothing to break her fear. Whether or not she came to terms with it already, today had scarred Jun. Never had she felt such emotions in her life; this morning she had experienced pure hatred whose depths were bottomless, drowned in unfathomable sorrow that she had never imagined was possible. Even though these were not her emotions, they stung and wounded her all the same. Whether they were channeled to her unintentionally or not, she still suffered the impact of it all. Having to endure apathy and distress that were too great for words having to experience the grief of strangers she never knew...  
  
She was oblivious to the beautiful day outside of her window, oblivious to the monarch butterflies and the alluring purple hue of the irises that she would often be delighted to sit among. She only buried her face in the depths of her pillows and cried heavily.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kazuya climbed up the stairwell, both his mind and body aching under the strain of yet another dull and uneventful day. He entered the vast hallway and started for his chamber, when a certain sound caught his attention. He stopped when he had heard it, and caught the muffled crying from the other side of the door that Jun had resided in. He approached it closer and he could hear the whimpering distinctively.  
  
-Why are you stopping?- The hissing voice of his demonic counterpart interrogated.  
  
Kazuya ignored him, the sobbing compelling him the same way a flame does to a moth. He could not remember the last time he cried, since he figured that tears were signs of weakness and a waste of time. How could drops of water that the human body can naturally produce on impulse possibly change the course of events?  
  
But...HER crying made him feel different. Funny, she was making him feel that way a lot lately. Much to his hesitation, he opened the door and entered the room.  
  
Her head shot up from her pillow and her eyes instinctively locked onto the boy that was drawing nearer to her. She quickly wiped away her tears and tried to regain her normal breathing. "Oh, Kazuya-sama. I didn't hear you come in."  
  
He shrugged. "I didn't knock."  
  
She sat up from her bed, attempting to hold back the tears she wanted more than anything to spill down her cheeks. "How was your day?  
  
"Never mind about mine. How did yours go?" He asked.  
  
She attempted a smile, but the result was quite terrible. For some reason, she could not hide behind her seemingly assuring smiles the way that she was able to around her father and Wang. "It was fine."  
  
"Really? Then why are you crying?"  
  
She was taken back by his recent question, feeling as if she was undergoing some interrogation. Kazuya's dark mahogany eyes watched her intensely, as if he was waiting for her to confess something.  
  
"It's nothing, Kazuya-sama," she lied, feeling a sudden pang of guilt. "I'm okay, really."  
  
"You're not a very good liar," He stated straightforwardly. "Why are you crying?"  
  
She fell silent, knowing that it was useless to lie to the older boy. But how could she tell him? How could he possibly understand her predicament when he would probably just laugh scornfully at her in the end? Jun knew by now that Kazuya was a realist, and if she told him that she had the psychic ability to detect the thoughts and emotions of those around her, living or dead, the outcome would be disastrous.  
  
"I can't tell you." She said, tearing away her ebony eyes from Kazuya's accusing face.  
  
"What do you mean you can't tell me?" Anger underlining his deepening voice.  
  
"I just can't." She responded meekly. He couldn't make her, he WOULDN'T make her tell...  
  
"Stop playing these games with me, Kazama."  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"If it were nothing you wouldn't be in your room crying."  
  
"...I don't want to tell you."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why do you want to know so much?"  
  
"Answer my questions, damn it!" He cursed at her, feeling as if she had stabbed him in the back. Within the few days she stayed here, she was the only one that he actually enjoyed the company of. He felt betrayed that the person he had felt comfortable would lie to him. "Why can't you tell me?"  
  
"I don't want you to know."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"...because."  
  
"Because why?!?"  
  
"BECAUSE YOU'LL HATE ME!!!"  
  
He took a step back, taken off guard by her words. Her glistening eyes were alive with sorrow, he could see it swirling in the almond brown depths. The tears she held back were cascading down her cheeks now, her body trembling heavily.  
  
She looked at him, those eyes of hers boring into his. "...because...you'll hate me," she trailed on, her voice in a subdued whisper that only he could hear. "If you knew like everyone else...you'll hate me like they do..."  
  
Jun broke down into deep sobs, her breathing coming out ragged and heaving. Her hands had covered her face now in a pitiful attempt to obscure her tears from Kazuya. He looked at her and said nothing, feeling that there were no words that needed to be said.  
  
She was an enigma, pure and simple. Despite the efforts she made to conceal her own worries, she was still a child. She carried a strength, a maturity, that most toddlers did not possess. Within her silent demeanor lied a quiet strength that was quite rare, and yet she was just as vulnerable as any little girl would have been. Even though she was a determined and solemn person, that did not deny the truth that she was in reality a child. And every child needed to be comforted at one time or another. Even Jun.  
  
Kazuya was not angry or irritated at her for displaying her weakness. How could he have been when this girl was obviously grieving over something that she did not want to reveal to him in fear of forcing him to carry her sorrow onto his own shoulders? He stared at her in astonishment, but more surprisingly, in sympathy. Her tears had awakened something inside of him, her anguish had wrought discomfort and unease into his own being. Looking at her...made himself cry inside.  
  
Her sorrow stirred memories within him, little fragments of time that he had kept in the recesses of his mind. He remembered that he was three years old and had scraped his knee on the paved path in the courtyard. How he wished he was there to curse at himself for crying over a tiny little cut. If he knew back then what the true essence of pain was like, he would have never acted like such a little weakling. However, when he had cried, his mother had come to him. She knelt down and placed a moistened towel on it, cleansing it and covering the wound with a bandage. And when she was finished, she had drawn him in her arms, and then he knew that he was safe. His abusive and callous father did not exist, pain was nowhere to be found. It was only him and his mother, who had not loved him any less for expressing grief over a minor injury. He felt...secure.  
  
He calmly approached Jun and sat himself right next to her on the mattress. He enveloped her in his arms, feeling her stiffen. He said nothing, because there were no words to say.  
  
Jun's eyes went wide with childlike innocence, her tear-stained face settling against Kazuya's vest. She looked up to the older boy to see an unusual, but soothing, countenance of reassurance on his youthful face. Her lips parted to speak, to utter something, but the words failed to come.  
  
"Don't say anything." He said, his arms still draped over her small quivering body.  
  
In return, she did as he had told her. She felt her cries subsiding into a calm. That was how Kazuya made her feel during her stay in this house. He made her feel safe, as if he were a guardian protecting her from all that threatened to do ill to her. Jun rested her head against his chest, feeling her sadness slowly fading away.  
  
She remained in his comforting embrace, both children silent as the dying sunlight outside diminished into nothing. 


	7. Rain

Shattered  
  
Chapter Seven: Rain  
  
Jun's small fists tightened as she hid underneath the shelter of her blanket while the storm raged on outside. The heavy rains pounded against the roof of the mansion, and the wind howled menacingly like a person screaming out of torment. She was curled up in a little ball, her mind and senses wracked with fear, anticipating the thing that she feared most...  
  
An earsplitting clap of thunder sounded through the heavy torrents of water, causing the young girl to immediately shriek into her pillow. It rumbled sullenly and finally subsided into an eerie silence so that only the rain could be heard. Her body shook uncontrollably, hiding her pale face into her pillow.  
  
"Let it go away, please let it go away..." she prayed, only to be answered by another boom of thunder. She shut her eyes tightly as to not see the terrifying clashes of white lightning outside her window, her ears covered by the palms of her small hands.  
  
When she could only hear the driving splatter of raindrops onto the ground, she crawled cautiously out of her blankets and onto the floor, leaving her room with hastened steps. She entered the hallway, shrouded in shadow, and went across to Kazuya's door. She was about to knock on the door, but it had swung gently open, inviting her in. Hesitating a bit, she hurried soundlessly in, closing the door softly as she did.  
  
The spicy scent of candles permeated the room as if they were once lit. She paid no attention to the papers scattered across the surface of the wide oak desk, or the spines of the books that were stowed away in the bookcase; her nerves were far too rattled to notice them. She found him in his bed, sleeping soundly on his side. She quietly walked over to him and gently whispered, "Kazuya-sama?"  
  
She was answered with the steady pace of his breathing. Trying once more, she beckoned him, this time gently shaking his shoulder. "Kazuya- sama?"  
  
His eyes shot open, revealing dark mahogany pools that seemed to burn even through the heavy darkness of night. He sat up when he saw her, thinking that something had happened. "What is it?"  
  
She avoided his stare and bit her lip a bit. Her hands were folded beneath her back and she swayed a bit, a habit she did out of nervousness. "C-can I sleep with you?"  
  
Seeing that there was nothing to be wary of, he settled back against his mattress. "Why?"  
  
"...I'm afraid."  
  
He looked at her, his face wearing an expression of slight irritation. "Of what?"  
  
A few flashes of lightning burned through the night sky, and a great roar of thunder ripped the air, tearing through the raindrops. Jun let out a small yelp and her hands held her ears as she trembled uncontrollably. Kazuya watched with interest and humor.  
  
"Thunder? That's what you're afraid of?"  
  
She nodded her head furiously, the strands of black hair bobbing up and down from her head.  
  
"You should be more afraid of the lightning. At least thunder can't hurt you."  
  
Common logic did nothing to ease her mind. She was a child, and rational thinking often was useless in quelling the fears of a toddler. She was so frightened that just hearing the slightest hint of thunder was as if she was being physically harmed. Tears were forming in her eyes, the almond brown depths glistening softly with the crystal drops.  
  
"Please, Kazuya-sama?" her small voice pleaded with him.  
  
Seeing that there was nothing else that would comfort her, he sighed and shifted further onto the other side of the bed. "Fine, but only until the storm is over. And don't get any of your tears on my pillow."  
  
Her lips broke into a grateful smile, and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her nightgown. She climbed onto the bed next to the older boy and rested easily under the satin sheets. Since the bed was king-size, there was enough room for both of the children to move about. She laid onto her side, huddled up in a little ball with the blankets settled around her.  
  
"Kazuya-sama?" The clear voice rang softly through the darkness.  
  
"What now?"  
  
"...thank you."  
  
He did not respond, but rather listened to the rain outside as he rested on his back. Jun flinched a bit whenever flashes of lightning would momentarily illuminate the room, followed up by a deep growl of thunder. He was silent as he heard the stifled whimpers of the poor girl: he knew that she was trying her hardest not to scream out of fear.  
  
"What would you do during thunderstorms at Yakushima?" He asked out of curiosity.  
  
The girl turned onto her other side so that she faced Kazuya. "Otousan gave me a teddy bear that I would always have next to me before I slept. Whenever there was a storm, I felt better whenever I hugged it."  
  
"Did you forget it back at your house?"  
  
"...no."  
"Then what happened to it?" He noticed the sadness that tinged her gentle voice.  
  
"...the other children in my village took my teddy bear from me. They held him up high so I couldn't get him, and then one of the older boys threw it into the river. I never saw my teddy again after that."  
  
"Why did you let them do that to you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Why didn't you do anything to get your bear back?"  
  
She paused for a second, and he could hear a slight sniffle. "Because, two of them held me back whenever that boy threw him into the water. I kicked and screamed, but they didn't let me go until my teddy floated away from me, Kazuya-sama."  
  
Once again, silence. For some inexplicable reason, he began to feel animosity towards the children that had tormented Jun. Naturally, he would not care if someone had their possession stolen and then destroyed if he himself was not the victim. But to do it to a defenseless girl like Jun was something that he could not act passively to.  
  
There was another boom of thunder, but he did not hear Jun whimper or see her recoil back into the blankets. "...but...you kind of remind me of my teddy bear, Kazuya-sama."  
  
"How?" There was a tone of slight confusion to the boy's inquiry. "I'm not a toy that you can carry around-"  
  
"No, I didn't mean that," she giggled a bit which eased Kazuya's agitation. "I'm just saying that I'm not afraid when I'm with you. You make me feel happy, just like my teddy bear did."  
  
He did not answer, for he was slightly taken aback by Jun's sincere confession. For an instant, he felt almost...at peace knowing that he was the reason why she laughed and smiled. He had to admit that some part of him was joyous that he made her felt safe and secure, even if she had just compared him to a child's simple plaything.  
  
But of course, his cold demeanor did not show it. "Stop being foolish. I want to get some sleep, so don't bother me with your nonsense."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," her head leaned against the pillow, her eyelids feeling a bit heavy. She could make out the lean form of Kazuya sprawled onto his back with his eyes closed. "But I meant everything I said, Kazuya- sama. You really do make me feel happy when you're with me."  
  
The dark prince was soundless as he heard her shuffle a bit in the blankets.  
  
"Good night, Kazuya-sama."  
  
And then she was silent after that, the only sound coming to his ears was the soft beating of her heart as she slipped into a colorful realm of dreams. He remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity, attempting to fall asleep but failing in doing so. Letting out a sigh of frustration, he sat up from his bed. He could make out the hands that pointed to a quarter after one on the face of his clock, and then his eyes moved towards the still figure of the child next to him, and they remained on her.  
  
It has been a little more than two months since she arrived. Wang still continued their training sessions while he attended school, but she was always there waiting for him on the front steps of the mansion to greet him with a smile. He found solace in those sparkling almond brown eyes of hers and the kindness and genuine compassion that she had for him and people around her. Even if she was not from Tokyo, it was as if she had always been here.  
  
He gently pulled the edge of the blanket closer to her chin to tuck her in so that she would not grow colder into the early morning. The last thing he saw was Jun sleeping peacefully, and he too succumbed to slumber as the rain continued to fall.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I apologize for not updating promptly. I didn't think I would receive so many reviews while I was away, so to all of you who were kind enough to write them, thank you!  
  
I do plan on continuing this story, and I will be introducing a new character in the next chapter. I'm sorry if it's a little boring, but I figured that you would want something to read while I start on the next chapter. I will not write Kazuya and Jun as children forever, so please don't be patient.  
  
Thank you for your support, Cherry Whisper 


	8. Sibling Rivalry, Part One

Shattered  
  
Chapter Eight, Part One: Sibling Rivalry  
  
He sat on the cold seat of the swing, the long metallic chains dangling from the suspended metal bar. He clutched them as he swayed back and forth, his expensive sneakers covered in thick mud and rocking weakly above a puddle of rainwater that had formed underneath his feet. His head was bowed, the unruly obsidian hair plastered across his forehead from the heavy rain. He did not shudder from the piercing cold of the storm or flinch when the thunder roared through the darkness. He was oblivious to all that was around him. He felt like he was alone in this world enshrouded in shadow, as if he were standing on the edge of the world without anyone at his side. He was alone. Just like he was in the beginning.  
  
He gripped the chains angrily, the past events of the week and of today reeling through his weary head.  
  
"I don't care about either of them," he muttered angrily to himself, gripping the chains tighter. "It's not like I needed her anyway!"  
  
He loathed himself after letting the words slip off his tongue, knowing that what he said was a lie. Regardless, he still wanted to hate her, WANTED to forget all about her. But in truth, he could not. He didn't want her to exist as a memory; she was much too dear to him to be a mere shadow of the past.  
  
No...it was not SHE that he hated. It was him...the boy with the silver hair...  
  
* * * *  
  
"Kazuya-sama!" Jun called to him gently as she shook his shoulder. "It's time to get up."  
  
He pretended not to hear her and buried himself underneath the security of his pillow. "Leave me alone..."  
  
Despite her insecure nature, the younger child kept coaxing him. "Kazuya-sama, please. You'll be late!"  
  
"Then let me be late!" He growled, turning onto his other side so that his back faced her.  
  
She sighed, but she adamantly continued to shake his shoulder. "Come on, Kazuya-sama! Your father sent me up here to get you."  
  
His eyes snapped open as he immediately sat up against his mattress. "...my father?"  
  
Jun nodded. "Hai. He told me to wake you up because he had something he wanted to show you downstairs."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Kazuya slipped out of his blankets, his desire to return to bed slowly leaving him. "What did you see?"  
  
"I didn't see anything," she truthfully answered. "I heard someone downstairs and I thought it was you because you usually wake up around this time. But I saw Mishima-sama coming inside the house, and then he told me to get you."  
  
Feeling more curious than groggy, Kazuya gave in. "Get out now. I have to change."  
  
Jun did as he told her, closing the door behind her and waiting patiently in the hallway. Kazuya yawned and gathered his school uniform, heading to his private bathroom afterwards. As he brushed his teeth, he wondered to himself why his father had been back so early from his supposed business trip from China. Usually when Heihachi went on a trip, he did not return for a few more weeks. What could have happened to send the old man back to Tokyo so soon?  
  
Well, he'd figure it out once he was finished dressing.  
  
After he was finished, Kazuya left his room to find Jun waiting for him. Side by side, they both bound down the grand staircase to the front foyer. As they descended each step, both children noticed the grim and sober figure of Heihachi Mishima, and a smaller figure of a boy.  
  
Jun and Kazuya saw the child that awaited them at the stairs. His youthful face was hidden by a tangled mass of dirty, silver hair. The boy seemed to take an interest in his worn shoes, since his eyes did not make contact with either the dark prince or his companion. Kazuya nearly sneered at how messy and ragged the stranger's clothes were; he shared the resemblance of one of the many stray dogs that roamed around the streets.  
  
"Kazuya," the deep voice of his father addressed him, "I would like you to meet someone."  
  
Jun followed Kazuya closely behind, only to be stopped by her caretaker. "Jun-chan, go back to your room."  
  
She looked at him in puzzlement, not taking the hint.  
  
"This is a family meeting, my child. You are not to be here."  
  
Jun looked confusingly at Kazuya, who reassured her with the steady gaze of his mahogany eyes. She hesitantly turned back, taking one last look at her guardian, and retreated up the stairs.  
  
When they were alone, Heihachi looked at his son. "Kazuya, we are having a new addition to the family." He then gestured the other boy to take a step forward. "This is Lee Chaolan. He will be living with us from now on as your younger brother."  
  
It took him an instant for the words to process through his head, but it was a while until he was able to understand. Kazuya took another look of contempt at the unkempt boy, not even attempting to hide the glare of hatred in his eyes.  
  
"What is this street trash doing in our house?" He spat, not caring whether or not he would receive a good blow to the face as punishment.  
  
"He is your brother, and you shall treat him as such."  
  
"I will do no such thing. This orphan has no place here."  
  
Heihachi drew nearer to his son, his steely eyes staring fiercely at the younger Mishima. "Are you deaf, boy? I said that he is to be a new member of our family. If you have a problem with that, than perhaps you should consult me about it during our sparring session in the dojo later today."  
  
Kazuya only glared at his father, knowing what was implied in his arrogant voice. He took another glance of contempt at the silver-haired boy, whose eyes were directed towards the polished floors of the foyer. He did not know him, but already Kazuya was absolutely certain that he loathed the sight of him.  
  
"Now, I already have one of the rooms prepared for your brother. It is the one to the left of Jun-chan's room. Take him there."  
  
Kazuya defied his father's wishes by simply standing there.  
  
"Do you not comprehend what I am telling you?" Heihachi spoke, impatience underlining his voice. "I said now."  
  
With a scoff, Kazuya led the way up the stairs, the stranger named 'Lee Chaolan' slowly following him.  
  
He did not turn his head as they walked in unbearable silence, refusing to look at something that was not worthy of stepping a foot into his house. He led him down the long hallway, passing the closed doors and the expensive portraits and furnishings that lavished the walls. The silver- haired boy looked around him in wonder; he felt as if he had died and woke up in a paradise. Never had he seen a mansion such as this. He had only heard of them from gossip on the streets of his hometown, or seen them in the dirty, tattered pages of discarded magazines. He was almost lost in the extravagance of the place, until he noticed that the older boy had stopped. He opened the door before him, and entered. The orphan hesitantly followed out of fear and caution.  
  
What he saw next nearly took his breath away. A king-sized bed adorned with satin sheets was in the center of the room. Rich draperies hung from the vast windows and the room was furnished with a solid oak dresser and a large vanity.  
  
"Wow..." was all that he could say.  
  
The older boy once again scoffed at him in scorn, his dark eyes glaring viciously at him. "I don't know what brought my father to bring street trash like you into our house, but don't plan on staying here for very long."  
  
The younger one was taken back by the sudden, harsh words, but he stood his ground. Spending eleven years on the cold, ruthless streets had taught him to always stand his ground when threatened.  
  
"What's your problem?" He inquired crossly.  
  
"You, obviously," Kazuya retorted, venom dripping from his voice. "Don't get too cozy, you motherless bastard. I promise you that you'll be sent back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of. Until then, you'll do whatever I tell you to."  
  
The silver-haired boy stared defiantly at the strange, young Mishima. "Like hell I will."  
  
Kazuya only smirked. "Pity." He then lunged at the boy and pinned him down onto the floor. Lee struggled, trying to writhe himself out of his stepbrother's grip, but to no avail. He had gotten into street fights before, but none of the other orphans were as strong as this boy.  
  
Kazuya raised his fist, his piercing eyes glowering upon his victim. With a devilish grin, he brought his fist down and struck the boy's mouth. Lee felt pain searing through the side of his face, and he could taste the thick, bitter taste of his blood on his tongue. The heir to the Mishima clan lifted his fist once more, this time with the intention of knocking his victim unconscious...  
  
...until he caught something at the corner of his eye. There, standing at the door was Jun, her almond brown eyes wide with confusion. Her thick raven hair failed to hide the look of shock on her youthful face because of that accursed pink bow she always wore. Her tiny hands were clasped around a ceramic flowerpot, from which small green seedlings had popped out of the dark, rich soil that had imprisoned them.  
  
Lee stared in amazement, baffled that the second strike did not come. Instead, he had looked into the direction that his attacker's eyes were focused in, and he too saw the young girl that stood at the entrance of the room.  
  
"...Kazuya-sama..." she spoke, her timid voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing?"  
  
He looked down at the boy he had trapped onto the floor with his weight, and slowly brought his fist down to his side. He released his hold on the collar of Lee's dirty shirt and stood back onto his feet.  
  
"Didn't my father tell you to stay in your room?" he asked in an indifferent tone.  
  
Jun suddenly looked guilty for breaking an elder's wish. She cast her eyes downwards. "I...wanted to show you my plant."  
  
Kazuya looked at the pitiful little plants that began to poke their heads out of the soil. Jun has been watching that flowerpot and tending to its every need. She adjusted its position on her windowsill to make sure it got just the right amount of light, and she was watering it exactly three times a day. She was always looking at it whenever he found her in her room. He knew why, too: it was her only link to her home in Yakushima.  
  
"...is something wrong?" she innocently asked, and Kazuya knew she was referring to the boy with the bloody lip. Without answering her question, he took her by the arm and away from the stranger. He dragged her into his room, and then stared at her solemnly once he knew he was out of range from his father's ears as well as the boy's.  
  
"Jun, don't pay attention to that street trash," he coldly ordered.  
  
"Kazuya-sama, who is he?" she inquired of him, worrying about what she had just witnessed. "...were you hurting him?"  
  
"...no," he lied, the fib eating away at him when he saw the concerned look in her soulful eyes. "I was merely laying down some ground rules."  
  
"...but he was bleeding," she insisted. He suddenly grew irritated by how bothered she was about the injured boy.  
  
"He'll heal." He kneeled down to her height and focused on her with his dark gaze. "Jun, do as I say. Stay away from him."  
  
He made certain that he had said the last words clearly and distinctively, so that the girl could understand. It was bad enough that something had overcome his father to suddenly adopt another child into the family. Kazuya knew Heihachi better than anyone. He suspected that the old man was plotting something that had to do with that silver-haired boy. Whatever it was, Kazuya would not stand by and allow Jun to be involved with it, which was his reason for ordering her to distance herself away from him.  
  
Whether or not the girl could understand why he was being so cruel to a seemingly harmless boy was a different matter. Jun could not comprehend why her guardian would want her to keep away from someone she did not even know. But looking into the graveness of his dark brown eyes was enough assurance, at least for now.  
  
"...okay." She finally answered, not wanting to upset her best, and at the time, only friend.  
  
Kazuya felt a little wave of relief flooding over his anxieties as he gathered his schoolbooks in his knapsack and left for the foyer. Jun followed him, her little steps pattering behind him as they descended the stairs and reached the front door.  
  
"Remember what I said, Jun," he reminded her solemnly and left for school.  
  
"Sayonara, Kazuya-sama!" she cheerfully responded, waving her little hand. Kazuya could not help but smile a little at the cute gesture of sincerity, and he slowly shut the door.  
  
Jun watched through the window as he got into the limousine, and then sped off to school. After the vehicle had left, she went back upstairs to check on her plant. As she was passing the guest room that was next to hers, she heard a soft groan. Curious and worried, she stopped and peeked into the room. Her fears were confirmed when she saw the stranger wiping off the dark blood that had formed at the corner of his mouth. Her heart sank when she had seen him, and she suddenly wished to help him.  
  
She was about to call to him, but then she suddenly remembered Kazuya's wish. Biting her lower lip, she was torn between her conscience and the words of her dearly loved friend. It was quite an awkward situation for a six-year-old girl to be in.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted when a solution suddenly popped into her head. Heading downstairs to the kitchen, she climbed the kitchen counter and acquired a small ceramic bowl from the upper cabinet. She filled it to the brim with lukewarm water and hurried up to her bathroom upstairs. There, she gathered a small collection of cotton and disinfectant, and carried them to the guest room. Seeing that the boy had his back to her, she gently set down the bowl of water and medicine. She congregated all the courage in herself and knocked on the door. As soon as she saw him turn around, she bolted for the next room, allowing him to only see a slip of raven hair as she fled.  
  
The boy was a bit confused, not sure what or who it was that he had just encountered. He looked down and saw the cotton and the water at the door. Lee approached it, and after staring at the objects, began swabbing his wound with a water-soaked ball of cotton. He then wiped it with a bit of the disinfectant, which had stung a bit. However, after it had dried, he began to feel the pain slowly disappearing.  
  
Lee felt disappointed that the humanitarian that had left him the materials did not even bother to stick around. After the long, tiring trip from China and the sudden exposure to his new life, he was quite exhausted. He was also alone in this beautiful mansion. He had no idea where Heihachi was, and the one who he was to call 'brother' was also the same person who had attacked him. He did not have many people who would come to his aid when he lived on the streets, and he was all right with that. In the past, he knew ever detail about his rundown neighborhood. But now that he had a new life that he was to spend in this grand estate, he felt insecure. He was almost confounded by the sheer size and cleanliness of the mansion. At least on the streets he knew how to navigate his way during those cold, dark nights. But not here...  
  
Suddenly, he remembered that other than the servants, there was one member of this household that he had yet to talk to. He recalled a small girl with a pink bow and denim jumpsuit that he had seen earlier. What had been her name?  
  
...Jun. He was positive that his foster father called her Jun. The name sounded foreign to him, but he thought for some unexplainable reason that it had suited the child.  
  
-Could it be Heihachi's daughter?- he thought to himself as he entered the hallway. -No, that doesn't make sense. He sent her upstairs when he introduced me to Kazuya. He said that it was a family meeting.-  
  
He remembered seeing a fleeing figure with raven hair running from his door, and he concluded that it was the same girl that he had seen. He went to the room next to him and hesitantly knocked on the door.  
  
No answer. He was sure that this was where the girl had gone to. Knocking again, he pressed his ear against the wooden surface to attempt to detect a sound.  
  
Nothing. Figuring that he had nothing better to do and that he was too damn lonely, he gingerly twisted the doorknob and walked into the room. There, sitting near the windowsill next to a budding plant was the young girl. Her head turned around to see her visitor, and upon spotting who he was, her eyes directed themselves back to the scenery outside her window. She tried to pretend that she had seen something interesting to divert her vision away from the silver-haired boy.  
  
"...hi." He softly greeted her. She said nothing and continued to look outside.  
  
A bit confused by her silence, he persisted in his efforts to communicate. "Your name's Jun, right?"  
  
Startled that he had remembered her name, she stared at him with her large almond brown eyes and shyly nodded.  
  
"I'm Lee," he said warmly, approaching her without faltering. She was taken back by his sudden openness and friendliness, but she remained where she was as he stood at her side. "Um...thanks for leaving me all that stuff. It was really nice of you."  
  
"...you're welcome," she timidly replied. "Is your lip all right?"  
  
Lee grinned and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's just a little cut. It's getting better, no thanks to that prick..."  
  
The last word was like a blasphemy when it had drifted into her ears, and she suddenly became nervous. She was not entirely sure what the word had meant, but she knew that it was not actually the nicest.  
  
"Please, don't call Kazuya-sama that." She pleaded with the stranger. Lee was surprised by her willingness to swiftly defend the boy.  
  
"...are you his sister or something?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, I'm a guest here. But Kazuya-sama has been like a brother to me. He takes care of me, even though he says I'm a nuisance to him."  
  
He listened to her silently, and found her words to be unbelievable. Lee just could not picture someone as hostile and cruel as Kazuya looking out for a young girl.  
  
"I'm sorry that he hurt you," she continued, "but please don't hate him. He isn't a bad person, he really isn't!"  
  
"All right, all right," Lee calmed her, realizing that the girl was trembling with emotion. "I'm sorry about what I said, okay? Stop crying, already."  
  
Jun was shocked by what he had said, and then realized that felt the warm gumdrop tears running from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, brushing them aside hastily. "Gomen nasai."  
  
Lee shot her a look of bewilderment. "...huh?"  
  
Realizing that he was not fluent in Japanese, Jun immediately looked apologetic. "Oh, I mean I'm sorry!"  
  
Lee stared at her, and then laughter rumbled through his chest. Jun gawked at him with eyes of curiosity, but she was not offended. Something told her that it was lighthearted.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
  
If you haven't figured it out already, I'm splitting this chapter into two parts because it's so darn long, and I didn't want people to think that I'm abandoning this fic. I just survived midterms, so I need to recollect whatever senses I have left. The next part of this chapter will be the last time that I write Kazuya, Jun, and Lee as children. I'll be putting them in a high school setting, so things are bound to get interesting. Thanks for all the great reviews. You guys are the best! 


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